Eye of the Storm
by ShadowMoon2430
Summary: Sequel to "Raging Storm". Shortly after their adventure with Moana, Lahela and Maui find the seeds of strife spreading throughout the humans, hitting every island. Wishing to stop what is happening, they seek answers but find they are facing an issue that doesn't lie exclusively with the humans. Maui/OC. -Hiatus/Being rewritten-
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _Welcome to Eye of the Storm! Sequel to Raging Storm. If you haven't read it yet, I would recommend going back and working on that first. I'm thrilled that so many of you liked Lahela and I could bring her back for more. I hope you enjoy the story and let me know what you think!_ _  
_

 _\- ShadowMoon2430_

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

The forest surrounding Lahela and Maui was dense, much like the village they had just left. In comparison to the village however, the forest was calm. The village left behind was nearly overflowing with a collection of people bustling about with their daily lives.

The only thing disrupting the forest was Lahela. Despite her best efforts, the goddess of storms could not contain her laughter as she walked behind the demigod. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she spoke through her laughter, muffling her mouth with her hand. "I just can't believe they prayed for your help with that. And you answered."

Maui didn't reply, grumbling to himself as he walked.

"I assume they never said what they needed help with. I hope not anyway. Oh, it was wonderful though. The great Maui, reduced to house work." Lahela continued laughing until she had to pause her steps. She hunched over, trying to breath as her crimson hair fell over her face.

"Laugh all you like, you're not doing much better. If you actually responded to prayers, I'm sure they'd want you to watch their children."

Lahela scoffed at the idea. "As if anyone would put a child under my care. They'd have to know my name first anyway."

Maui stopped as he turned around and gave the goddess a look of disbelief. "They do know your name. You can pretend to be invisible all you like but you're starting to get a name for yourself again."

"Doesn't matter," Lahela said with a shrug as she tried to move on from the topic. It had been several months now and restoring the heart to Te Fiti hadn't exactly gone unnoticed. With life returning to the islands, people thanked the gods and began looking for the next tale to pass on. With time, the pieces were put together and the tale of how Maui, Lahela, and the human, Moana, were able to defeat Te Ka and return Te Fiti's heart spread throughout the islands.

From the moment he became a demigod, Maui seemed to always be the focus of tales. His name was known everywhere and he loved it. Humans knew his name and worshipped him, and he embraced it. Which is why Lahela made no sense to him. "You're a goddess, people are supposed to know your name."

Lahela shook her head. "It isn't necessarily a good thing. Sure, people can call on me if they need rain but most don't. They just think about violent storms and associate it with me. I'm destruction."

"You just saved the world! People can't say that anymore." Maui put an arm around her shoulder and pushed her along. "Just stick with me. They'll be praising your name."

"I'll leave the praise to you."

Maui rolled his eyes before he moved his hand to her back and gave her a light shove. "You are one weird goddess."

"It's better than being a pompous demigod," Lahela teased as she caught herself and faced Maui.

"It's okay, I understand. It's intimidating when you have to start living up to my awesome stories."

She snickered as she turned away from him dramatically and continued their walk towards the boat. "Oh, you wish! You are so full of yourself. How is it that people still pray to you after meeting you?"

"They realize my greatness. You will too, someday."

Despite Maui's proclamation, Lahela laughed at the demigod. It was a typical conversation for them. Even if they let it rest this time, it would rise back up another time. It was just what they did.

The pair bickered often, even in front of humans. Though they didn't mean to, that was the image they created. After all, it didn't go unnoticed that the Demigod Maui and the Goddess of Storms, Lahela, seemed to suddenly be traveling together. A peculiar combination that had no explanation. It is that situation that leads to people making up their own. If only the pair knew what was being said about them when their stories were being brought up.

* * *

A new island led to a new situation. Having left their previous location, Lahela had suggested stopping at another island she knew was simply a day away, one that had been dying the last time she saw it. The bleak world she left was no longer there. A thriving island full of life awaited them instead. That was the only peace on the island though.

Many years before, there were two villages that had made the land their home. Since that time, they had learned to live together and assist each other when necessary. They were hardly viewed as two villages, but more as one.

Maui and Lahela walked around the outside of the village as they remained out of sight. Though Maui was uninterested in anything going on at the moment, Lahela watched the village. She assumed it would have been lively, but something seemed off. Even from a distance, she could feel a tension in the air.

"I wonder what happened," Lahela whispered as she listened to a set of villagers arguing as they walked past where the pair was hiding.

"Who knows. They're humans, they argue sometimes."

Lahela looked at him critically. "Are you not seeing what I am? The entire village seems to be arguing. Shouldn't they be happy? They just got the island back."

"You're thinking too much into this." Maui sat down and turned his back against the village. Lahela could worry but he saw no reason to.

Lahela sat down in front of him them. "I thought you wanted to help the humans. Isn't that what you do, Maui?"

"Yes, but this isn't the same. Let me know when they need saving, then I'll step in."

She let out a breath and looked away annoyed. She supposed that he was right. They weren't exactly dying and they weren't the first group of people to have issues. In fact, they got along better than the gods most of the time. It just wasn't what she wanted to see on the island. It reminded her of when she had still been answering prayers and visiting humans. "Fine, let's just head back out."

"Nope," Maui said as he leaned back, making himself comfortable against a tree. "You dragged us here. Why rush back out on the water?"

"Why not if we're not doing anything here?"

The demigod simply waved her question off and closed his eyes.

"I'm gonna go explore then. I'll be back later." Lahela stood up and walked off, leaving Maui to his lounging.

She wasn't expecting to find much on her trip around the island, but she did find a few answers. Her trip took her down a path that looked like it had long since been forgotten. She was not the only one on it though. At the end of the path sat a middle-aged woman who was staring up at the sky. Being such a distance away from the village, she seemed very out of place despite being so relaxed.

As Lahela took a few steps closer, the woman turned towards her and smiled gently. "Well, I can't say I ever expected to see company out here. What brings you out here?"

The goddess paused. She hadn't expected such friendly words. "I'm quite fond of exploring…"

The woman laughed at her hesitation. "I come out here a lot. It's peaceful, something that isn't common in my village anymore."

"I noticed," Lahela said as she walked forward again. "My friend and I just landed here and the village seems… quite tense."

"Tense is one word for it," the woman conceded. "The people in the village just can't seem to get along anymore. Of course, that's nothing in comparison to our neighbors on this island. If you were trying to find somewhere new to stay, I recommend somewhere else."

"Why?" Lahela asked, caught up in her thoughts. Perhaps she was right about something being off. "I was here a while ago and the villages got along wonderfully. Why are they fighting now?"

The woman leaned forward as she looked at Lahela closely. "I don't know, but perhaps you and your friend could find out. These issues happened recently and escalated quickly. I fear what will come next. It's why I come out here. Most people seemed to forget what peace is."

Lahela bit her lip as she tilted her head in thought. Nothing came to mind as to why that would happen. And she didn't know why this woman thought she and Maui would be able to fix it. "I'm not sure I know how to help."

"Maybe not, but I would feel much better with your help. I fear we may need help from the gods." She stood up then. "I should get back to my husband though. I'll have no home to go back to if I stay out here much longer." As she walked off, she took a moment to turn back around. "Thank you for letting me get my thoughts out. It was a pleasure to meet you."

Once the woman was out of her sight, Lahela made her way back towards the village as well. She assumed Maui would still be there and if not he was most likely at the boat. Just as she thought, there sat the demigod right where she left him, resting without a care in the world.

Lahela knelt down beside him before she spoke quite loudly in his ear. "Maui!"

He jolted up and slammed his head against Lahela's before he looked at her wide-eyed. "What was that for?"

She cringed as she rubbed her head but smiled once she finally looked back at him and spoke quickly. "I was right! I knew there was something going on. I met this woman who said this started suddenly. And it's not just their village, it's almost everyone on the island."

Maui was clearly skeptical. "And you expect us to… what? Talk about their problems?"

"No. I don't know. I don't know if we can even help, but there is something going on. I was right."

"Okay, okay. So maybe there is a problem here. Let the humans work it out though. We don't need to do everything for them."

"I guess…" Lahela agreed, though she wasn't sure it wasn't worse than just the usual human problems. She left it at that.

The rest of the day was spent on the island until Maui and Lahela decided it was time to head off. It seemed that was simply the first stop on the path to their next adventure.

* * *

 _Lahela and Maui are back with a new problem is lurking in the distance. If homework doesn't get in the way too much, I will hopefully have a new update sometime in the second half of the week. I am super excited to get this new story going though. I have fun things planned for the plot that I am just dying to get to._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _And now a rather lengthy author's note:_

 _I'm sorry it took so long! Life keeps me pretty busy. I have almost no free time during the week between class and work, and some of my weekends are taken up with planning my wedding. I promise I'll be working on this when I can though. If it's a good week, I'll be sure to get something posted quickly. Until I really get this plot moving though, it might be a bit slow between posts._

 _I also feel I should let you lovely readers know that since this is an original plot, I have a tendency to bring a rather dark feeling to my stories at times. While I plan on keeping this somewhat light considering that it's Disney inspired, but expect angst and feels along the way._

 _I would also like to thank those that have reviewed so far! It's fabulous seeing so many people eager to see what happens between Lahela and Maui!_

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 2**_

A gentle breeze swept by as the afternoon sun brightened the beach. Lahela was currently sprawled across the deck of the boat as she awaited Maui's return. It was a lazy day for the goddess and she was determined to enjoy every second of it.

Ever since they saved the world, it was constantly hopping from one island to the next. It was nice to be out and traveling again. What she could do with less of were the humans. Humans weren't necessarily bad, she just preferred to keep them at a distance. The less interaction the better. It's how she always had been. She didn't have to speak to someone on an island to figure out if they needed rain or if she needed to let the storm break. She was an invisible entity and that was fine.

But Maui was different and it was exhausting. Who could blame him though? She supposed that she would want to see as much of the world as possible after being stuck on an island for a thousand years. It didn't mean he needed to interact with every human that wanted his help though.

It had started off slow, but humans get excited when a god or demigod show up. And that spreads. Lahela just couldn't take much more of it. And so she found herself alone instead. She had pushed Maui to go off on his own for a bit. Once he had flown off, she was left on her own with time to simply relax. She just hadn't anticipated on it feeling so strange…

Anyone who looked at the goddess would say that she hardly seemed relaxed. After all, someone that was relaxed wouldn't be changing position every few minutes and fidgeting endlessly.

A groan escaped her lips as she rolled over and faced the ocean. "Why is it so boring now?" she muttered as she brushed her hand along the wet sand as the water receded from the shore. "I've spent ages by myself. Then you just had to push me towards Motunui and here I am, bored beyond belief with no idea how to entertain myself. This is all your fault." To top off her complaint, she half-heartedly threw sand at the water.

Lahela rolled back over then as she stared at the sky. The sight was suddenly cut off as a large wave appeared just before it crashed on her head.

"Really!" she yelled as she sat up and wiped the water from her face. "What was that for?" The goddess stood up then, stomping as she walked into the ocean, not caring as the bottom of her blue skirt darkened as it got soaked. "It is your fault! Everything that happened after that led to this."

"What in the world are you screaming about?"

Lahela screamed as she spun around in surprise. Maui stood just a few feet away as he watched her with a raised eyebrow.

"I was letting the ocean have a piece of my mind! That's what," she exclaimed with a huff, crossing her arms like a stubborn child. As if on cue, yet another wave crashed over her head, sufficiently soaking the goddess from head to toe.

Maui couldn't help but laugh at Lahela as she lost her battle with the ocean. The frustrated scream just increased his laughter as he bent over.

She stomped over to him then as she pushed her soaking hair away from her face. "It's your fault too! I can't even enjoy time by myself anymore."

"Uh, no." Maui shot her down quickly, more amused than anything by her mood. "I did what you asked. If you can't handle a little alone time, that's on you." A silence filled the air as she simply looked away. A smirk came across his face as a new thought formed. "No need to make a scene." He stepped forward then and leaned in towards her face. "Just admit that you missed me."

"No way!" She exclaimed as her face brightened even more than what it had been from her previous frustration. "Company isn't bad but it doesn't mean I missed you!"

"Fine, fine." He stepped back then just slightly, though little space was still between them. "You missed a very interesting trip though. You do know how humans like to talk. And this one was talking about you."

The knowing look on his face was enough to make her dread asking. "What were they saying?"

"We've made quite an impression already. Maui and Lahela, traveling the world together."

Lahela knew she had to be missing something. What could possibly be interesting about that, after all, it was true. "So?"

Maui laughed as he shook his head. Sometimes he wondered about that head of hers. "This lady was so upset when you didn't show up with me. After the rumors she had heard, she was so sure that we were partners now."

Her emotions slowly flashed across her face. Confusion, disinterest, understanding… then she truly understood what that lady had meant. The look of embarrassment that crossed her face was completely worth it. "What?" she squeaked out as she stared wide-eyed. "W-why would…"

"Embarrassed, Lahela?" Maui teased.

She shook her head quickly as she tried to step back. "No."

"The idea of being with me can't be that bad." The smirk never left the demigod's face as he stepped forward, not letting her put space between them as he watched her squirm. "Or why would you spend months with me?"

Lahela was at a loss for words. Between dealing with her flustered face, racing heart, and Maui's proximity to her, she couldn't focus on anything else. "I hate you all," she mumbled before she stepped back and disappeared in a flash of lightning, missing Maui's continued laughter.

The goddess appeared on the other side of the island, still blushing furiously as she tried to calm herself down. She dropped down onto the stone covered ground in a tense huddle. Her thoughts were swirling in her head, creating a bigger mess than she already felt like. She couldn't believe him. There was no reason for him to do that, teasing her and making her flustered. What was wrong with her, anyway, reacting like that? Goodness, it wasn't like she actually liked him! She should have just said no, shot down his teasing, and moved on. Why would she ever be interested in him like that? No, it was impossible…

Despite her words though, it did nothing to help calm her. Only time helped her. She stayed there until calm, only ready to face Maui again once she felt that she would be more like her old self. She should have punched him, not ran away. Surely something was wrong with her.

* * *

"And she's back!" Maui called out from his spot on the boat as Lahela made her way down the beach towards him.

"Yes, now let's go." The goddess went right into getting the boat ready to sail, ignoring the blush that started back up the second she saw Maui. She just hoped if she continued ignoring it, it would go away. "Any destination?"

"Nope."

Lahela shook her head as she started to push them off into the ocean. "Alright, then we leave with no destination. Sounds great."

With the sea in front of them, the pair set out. Though the silence between them was highly noticeable to Lahela, Maui seemed to have not a care in the world as he worried only on sailing forward. The awkward feeling eventually faded away as Lahela settled into her spot at the back, Maui beside her as her feet hung over the edge while she watched the trail they left through the water. Before long, the relaxed atmosphere led them back to their usual conversations and banter, thankfully sending the earlier conversation into the far back of her mind.

Even without a destination in mind, islands were bound to show up in the distance. The next island that came into view however was not what they had expected.

Dark clouds of smoke rose from the island, seemingly spread out as it thinned in some areas. It was clear even from a distance that a fire seemed to be the cause.

"Maui," Lahela called out worriedly.

The demigod already knew what she was going to say. "I'll go check it out." He shifted then as he took off into the sky as a giant hawk.

As Maui got a closer look, Lahela continued to bring the boat closer to the island. She couldn't help but feel anxious though. There seemed to be no reason for such a large fire to have spread across the island. She pushed forward as she focused on bringing in a strong rainstorm that would help put out the fire, she just needed to keep the wind in check.

Within a couple minutes, Lahela was jumping off the boat and onto the sandy shore. As soon as she set foot on the ground, she disappeared in a flash to get a better view of the fire. From within the thick of the trees, Lahela could see the occasional fire already starting to spread throughout them. The goddess let out a slow breath as she let the rain start to pour down on the area, soaking everything nearby as it made small progress on the flames she could see nearby.

Maui landed beside Lahela, splashing a bit of mud as his feet hit the ground. "The fire started in a village nearby. Part of it was put out but the villagers moved themselves out of it anyway."

Lahela looked over, starteled by his words. "They just left without trying to put it out?"

"So it seems. The rain is helping. Just get the fire out for now."

She was a bit reluctant but nodded as they both stood there getting soaked. "Alright, but then I want to find out what happened." Despite trying to focus on the rain, she remembered the words she had been told a while ago from the other island. Surely a fire couldn't be related to what she had spoken about.

The rain fell as the pair worked on putting out the fires. With the sun blocked out and the fires slowly going out, a subtle darkness moved across the island. All the was left was ash in place of the fires and the last embers slowly faded out.

Lahela and Maui walked quickly towards the village, ignoring the mud puddles that littered their path. "When you were flying around, did you see anything that may have started the fire?"

Maui shook his head before pushing the wet hair out of his face. "No, like I said, it looked like it started in the village."

"Do you remember what I said a while ago… About the problems in that other village?"

"Yeah," he looked at her skeptically then. "What, you think this fire is connected?"

Annoyed by his attitude, Lahela paused and grabbed his arm. "It could be. We don't know what's going on. You said it yourself, it probably started in the village. There's no reason why a natural fire should have started here."

Maui titled his head as he gave her an unbelieving look. "I didn't say it wasn't connected. Relax. How about we go get real answers?"

Lahela huffed and walked forward without a reply, knowing he was right.

As they neared the village, her steps slowed until she came to a stop. They were still some distance away but it was close enough to see what was going on between the villagers. Yelling filled the air as threats were tossed about, weapons held towards others. It was only when things appeared ready to escalate that the two finally walked closer, heads held high as they stalked into the middle of the gathering between the humans.

"Bringing outsiders into this now!" Shouted one man as he gestured towards the pair.

"Enough of this!" Lahela yelled as thunder rumbled through the sky. Her shock had quickly turned to anger as she listened to the people. "What are you arguing for? This is your village, isn't it?" She gestured to what was still standing of buildings behind them. Though some was burnt beyond repair, much would have been salvageable with work.

Another villager glared as he set his eyes on the goddess. "Stay out of it. Burning or falling apart slowly, the village was going to go eventually." He stepped up, though his sure footing faltered as he took in Maui who stood behind Lahela, silently watching. "Y-you have- You have no right to bring your opinions into this, outsider."

Though Maui knew Lahela was more than capable of bringing a halt to their argument, having been on the receiving end of her anger before, he felt the need to jump in as well. "We do have a right. And you should be thanking us. If we hadn't showed up, you would have destroyed any chance you had of living on this island."

The first man was about to speak again when an older man stepped forward, silencing him by simply placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "You put out the fire?" His voice was strained as he looked at the pair critically. "You are gods." The statement had a hostile tone to it that surprised the goddess and demigod.

She was thrown off by the tone, but didn't back down as she stepped forward as if challenging him. "Yes, like Maui said. You should be thanking us."

"Maui!"

"It's them!"

"We should have known!"

"Get out of here!"

Before she had barely finished her words, the crowd that had been gathered around them all began to yell out various words at the same time. Though there was a range of emotions that could be seen, it was clear there was nothing positive.

"We came to help," Lahela snarled as the wind picked up enough to almost knock the humans over.

"Help? You're the reason this happened!" the man said furiously.

"Wait, wait, wait." Maui said as he pointed his hook at them, though tried to stay calm. There needed to be at least one rational person there. "How could we have caused this? We weren't even here."

"Before you returned the heart of Te Fiti, our village got along. We had enough to get by. But then there was suddenly more life to the island. It was prosperous."

"That makes no sense!" Lahela exclaimed, ready to punch sense into them because they clearly had none. Maui pulled her back with quick words to silence her for another moment.

"You brought greed to our village!"

"Speak for yourself," shot in one villager. "You were the greedy one."

The first man glared at the others comment but continued. "You caused this. And we hear the tales. Lahela and Maui, traveling together, island to island. You let the world rot for all those years before? Why save it now? You want us to bow down and be grateful but you caused the problems from the beginning!"

With his final words, cheers and yells from the villagers started up again. "You are not wanted here! Go!"

All this anger towards her again. It never changed. Even when she did help, they only saw the bad! Why had she expected anything to change? All the thanks and praise… Lahela supposed it was never meant to last. Fueled by her anger, Lahela couldn't help as she lashed out with her wind. In an instant, many of the villagers were stumbling back or even falling.

"Lahela! Stop!" Maui gripped her arm tightly as he spun her around to face him. He was irritated, but his voice was quiet enough for just her to hear. "You aren't helping. Now let's go." She didn't respond as she glanced back at the villagers. "Lahela." His tone was final.

Lahela clenched her fists before she tugged her arm out of his grip and brought down a bolt of lightning.

She sound of the ocean waves crashing met her ears the second she appeared near the boat. The silence suddenly seemed too much as the goddess screamed. She took a deep breath to calm herself but after it proved fruitless, she kicked the sand instead.

"What were you thinking?" Maui yelled as he flew in front of her.

For all the words she wanted to say just a bit ago, she couldn't do so no through the frustration she was feeling.

"If you wanted to change their opinion," Maui started in a reprimanding voice, "you did a terrible job of it."

Lahela clenched her fists as she closed her eyes. The wind blew her hair about, no doubt into even more of a mess than the rain and running had caused.

"I know you don't really like humans, but you can't just attack them when mad. Go calm down so we can leave."

"You don't get it." Lahela's voice was low but some of the edge at left it, instead sounding more withdrawn. "Forget it." She walked off then. The cool night air helped calm her as it kept the walk short. Once she was sure she wouldn't sink the boat or cause problems, she would return. Perhaps then they would be able to really talk about what happened.

* * *

 _I think Lahela knew what I planned on writing eventually and was upset with me cause I've had to walk in the rain nearly every day for the last three weeks since classes started. I feel so bad every time I upset Lahela, but her emotions are so volatile that I can't help it. She'll have a break for a bit though. Less drama, promise._

 _Leave a review! I'll try to get the next one up soon._


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _Finally got this next one out. I really hate how long this is taking me to update. I am so sorry, but I'm thrilled to see so many people keep following and favoriting this! It means the world, though seeing a review would be even better. Just saying. Leave a review or send me a friendly reminder if you're waiting for the next chapter. Seriously, hearing from readers can be the best motivation of all. I would love to know what you think so far. In other news, I'll try to get another chapter out next week cause it's spring break, so no homework or classes to take up time._

 _Anyway, thanks for sticking around! Enjoy!_

* * *

Chapter 3

Very few words had passed between Lahela and Maui after she returned to the boat. The event with the village was still plaguing the goddess's mind, but instead of the raging anger she had felt earlier, it was replaced with dread and heavy feeling she just couldn't seem to place that weighed her down. The cold looks and silence she received from Maui on occasion did nothing to help her mood. Without a doubt, she had messed up and she needed to own up to it.

These were problems she hadn't had to deal with in so long. Every time she thought about what to say or how to bring up a conversation again, she could feel her heart starting to race. If the problem wasn't something she could physically work her way through, she would run. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about her feelings. That wasn't who she was. Something had to be said though. She just had to figure out how.

Lahela closed her eyes as she tried to compose herself. The wind blowing passed them helped calm her slightly, but the second she took a breath to prepare herself to turn around, her nervous energy shot right back up.

"Maui," she finally called out, though quieter than she wanted. She turned around to face him then, steeling her resolve.

"What?" His word was stiff, though not as cold as she expected, which encouraged her to go on.

"I'm- Well…" For all her resolve, it quickly crumbled until she looked away slightly and focused on the water beside him instead. Thankfully, Maui seemed to show some patience towards her as he said nothing, letting her form her words at her own pace. "Look, I know I messed up. I let myself get carried away. I shouldn't have, I know that, but I couldn't help it. It's always the same with humans."

She clenched her fists and pressed her eyes shut as she took a breath again, constantly trying to calm herself. "I just don't understand why that happened."

"You already have an idea why," Maui said frankly from his spot. "You're the one that brought it up to begin with."

"What?"

Maui rolled his eyes before standing up to walk over to her. "Why it happened. You've been going on and on about something happening around the islands. Change your mind now?"

Realization dawned on her as she slowly nodded her head. "All the fighting. It seemed out of place, I guess I got caught up when they suddenly started blaming us." She trailed off as she glanced out over the sea, letting her thoughts catch back up to her. "You said I shouldn't worry about it though. You can't tell me you don't believe something is going on now." She looked at him in question.

"Yeah, obviously something could be going on. I mean, who in their right mind would think _I'm_ to blame?"

"Of course, who could ever blame the great Maui?" Lahela rolled her eyes before she gave him a serious look. "Regardless, I don't know what this could be, or why they're blaming us."

"Let's go look for answers then." Maui grinned before he pointed at Lahela, pausing as she stared at him, waiting for me. "Just don't go attacking anymore humans. Can't help if you're causing problems."

"Fine, and if I do… lock me up or something. Whatever." She brushed off his comments, though it was good to hear a joking tone. A trip with tension between them wasn't needed.

And that was how they continued. The pair sailed on as their destinations constantly changed. Though the actions were repetitive as they moved from island to island, switching between land and sea, the villages they found themselves at did not have the same repetitive feel. A quaint village, living in peace as people went about their daily lives was the first they came across. Warm welcomes were met as Lahela and Maui were greeted with smiles and laughter, hope filling the eyes of the villagers. Some people seemed to go about their daily lives in peace. Lahela and Maui were greeted with smiles and warm welcomes. Everything appeared as it should.

The peaceful feeling did not lost long. Their next village, along with a few other stops, was filled with tension as arguments amongst their people echoed in the air. Despite the less than pleasant atmosphere though, day to day life still went on, just with a few more bitter looks and feelings. With other things to worry about, it seemed that the villagers cared little about the presence of the goddess and demigod, only a few going against the norm and greeting them. The villagers preferred to carry on with as little connection to any sort of higher power, getting through their days on their own.

Apprehension built up in Lahela's thoughts, lingering even when they stumbled upon another village that seemed to be fine. There was only one that created a lasting impression, changing apprehension into a feeling of dread. Villagers ignoring them would have been much more welcoming than the dark looks shot at the pair, discontent and distrust clear as day any time a villager spotted them. It was a village on the verge of war, but no outside enemies could be seen. Little time was needed there. Lahela and Maui both realized their presence would do little good, assuming reactions would be similar to the village that started their whole journey.

That final encounter left Lahela lost in thought as she walked silently beside Maui as they walked back to the boat. Maui glanced at the goddess as she fiddled with her skirt, skimming her fingers against the fabric and grabbing at it every so often, all but ignoring the demigod beside her. A few times, she looked back at him as a look crossed her face, as if she were about to speak, but she eventually turned back towards the ground, watching her steps.

"Just spit out whatever you're thinking about," Maui said in exasperation as he raised an eyebrow at her after catching her looking over for the fifth time. "Clearly something's on your mind."

Lahela took a breath before she pursed her lips and stopped walking. "I still don't understand," she said quietly, looking back towards where the village stood, though it was no longer in sight. "There seems to be no pattern or connection between these villages. You saw it yourself. Some of them were perfectly fine! Then we end up with this one!" Her anxiety was clear as a helpless look crossed her face, worked up over what happened.

"Lahela," he said plainly as he good her to completely focus on him. "Chill out," he instructed as he placed his hands on her shoulder. After watching her take a deep breath, he spoke again. "We'll figure it out, but not if you keep getting worked up over everything. I'm not fighting one of your storms every day."

These moments were still strange, when Maui had to be the sensible one. He had watched Lahela get carried away with her emotions on several occasions but it always seemed to be annoyance directed at him or anger at one thing or another. This was different and Maui had no idea what to do. He doubted his direct approach was best, but the look on her face was the last thing he wanted to see. For all the times he wanted to simply let things be, let the humans work things out themselves, he knew he couldn't do that this time. It wasn't simply because he cared about the humans either. He would end up helping them either way because he cared, but right now he knew he would do it simply for Lahela's sake.

With her eyes closed, Lahela held her breath, willing herself to calm down just a bit before she let it out and opened her eyes again. "I…" That was when she realized how close they still were, losing her thoughts for a moment, acutely aware of Maui still resting his hands on her. She swallowed before she spoke again. "I know. Not sinking the boat helps…."

Maui backed up then a step, dropping his hands as she realized she had calmed down some. "Any ideas? It doesn't seem like a curse and clearly isn't tied to a single island or area."

A pensive look crossed her face before her eyes quickly lit up with recognition. "Actually, I do, but…" she trailed off, weary to even speak her thought. It wasn't something that could be tossed around lightly. "I think this might be the work of another god."

Maui looked at her in surprise, not expecting that response. "A god? Really?" The complications quickly became apparent in his mind with her accusation. "You want to go accuse a god of, what? Trying to make the humans kill each other? You do realize how terrible that idea is, right?"

"I didn't say I wanted to just go waltz up to one of them and accuse them. I know what that could mean. I'd rather not jump into any more crazy fights. Returning the heart was hard enough. But think about it. You said it yourself, it's not a curse or something, but something had to cause this, or someone."

Maui shook his head in disbelief and crossed his arms. "And if it is, then what? And who are we even looking at cause I can think of a couple options."

Lahela bit her lip as she looked out towards the side for a moment. "I don't know." Before Maui could get his next comment ready, she quickly continued realizing from the look he gave her what he planned on saying. "We don't have much to go on, but I think I know who might have a better idea. Hoku. We can talk to her. Maybe she's seen or noticed something we haven't."

"Hoku?" Maui didn't know where that idea came from, nor did he know if it was actually a good one. "You think the Goddess of the Moon might somehow have answers and will actually want to help?"

"Yeah," she said, suddenly timid as she turned around and began walking again, ignoring the embarrassment she was feeling.

"Yeah? That's your answer?" Maui followed her in disbelief. "That is not an answer. Out of everyone you could possibly think of to go ask for help, you pick her."

Lahela tried to ignore him as he walked beside her, staring her down. "Yes, I know she'll help. There's no reason why she wouldn't."

Her evasion just made Maui suspicious as he watched her growing discomfort. "There's no reason why she should help," he countered.

"She'll help because she's my mother," she shot out quickly, finally flustered that he wouldn't just accept it and move on.

And that was when the laughter started as Lahela walked faster, mostly trying to escape her embarrassment. She knew he would react like that, making her think about simply turning around and punching him to get her frustration out.

"So we're asking mother dearest for help. Adorable. Guess the Goddess of Storms isn't so scary if she's running to mom for help."

"Really?" she yelled, turning around. "Yes, because you don't have an answer either! So leave it!" She went to smack him then, overwhelmed but a combination of emotions though most surprising was the lack of anger that seemed to be replaced by whatever it was that made her nearly smile instead and laugh along as her cheeks flushed. "Forget it!"

Maui just continued to laugh before he grabbed her hands, keeping her from turning around and stomping away. "You're right. Let's go ask Hoku. It's about time I met your mom anyway with half the world thinking we're together."

"It's not-!" Flustered, she yelled unable to figure out words before she snatched her hands away from him. "You're impossible."

"But you're not denying it," Maui teased as she walked away, leaving him laughing where he stood before he eventually followed after her. At least they had some sort of plan and a destination. And Maui suspected some more entertainment from a flustered Lahela. It certainly beat one that was angry or depressed.

* * *

 _And that's it for now! Goodness, I'll never get used to the whiplash I feel sometimes when following Lahela's emotions since she mostly functions in extremes. I fear I may be losing the characters right now since it's been so long since I've written them. But I expect that I'll be rewriting_ Raging Storm _soon and that'll get me back on track if I did get off course. As always, let me know what you think! Until next time, thank you so much for reading so far!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story. Also, from this point on you will start seeing new characters. While this story is loosely based on Polynesian mythology, all the characters I've made were simply inspired by ideas from it cause I don't know much about them and making new ones in easier than trying to adequately portray already existent ones._

 _Anyway, I'm super excited to have gotten this one out so quickly. I am so ready to get this story rolling so I can share all the craziness that is bouncing around in my head. And thank you to all the new reviews, favorites, and follows! Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

Hoku had a tendency of moving around every so often. Where she settled was almost always similar; somewhere high but with a clear view of the shore that allowed her to see her changing tides. It was almost too long ago to remember, the last time Lahela visited her. The goddess of storms wasn't sure if she had truly brought Maui to where she currently resided. She couldn't deny the fact that for all she knew, her mother may not have even been on the Earth presently…

Lahela glanced at Maui as they pulled up along the shore, a large incline stood before them, remnants of a long since extinct volcano that was now overrun with life. The island was small, most likely inhabited by only animals and the goddess that they were in search of.

"You sure she's here?" Maui asked skeptically as he trailed his eyes across the island.

"Well… No." Lahela shrugged as she looked at him and smiled guiltily. "If she's not though, your guess is as good as mine."

Maui rolled his eyes at the lack of surety. "Let's go then."

She grinned then as she nodded. "Meet you there." She laughed then before she disappeared in a flash of lightning with a snap of her fingers, missing the amused look on Maui's face before he transformed, flying up so he could meet her.

As Lahela appeared at the highest point of the island, she knew she wouldn't have to wait long before Maui appeared, but a minute or so was plenty of time. Her brown eyes gazed over the summit of the old volcano as she spotted a familiar figure. A warm smile crossed her lips as the figure turned towards her, nearly identical eyes meeting her own as the graceful woman stood up and walked towards her.

"Now this is a surprise. It's wonderful to see you." Lahela was quickly drawn into a hug as the Goddess of the Moon, her mother, affectionately greeted her. She pulled away then, smiling down at her daughter as she pushed some of her crimson hair back from her face. "What brings you here, Lahela? Finally decided to come visit for no reason?" Hoku looked at her daughter knowingly, for there always seemed to be a purpose to her visits.

Lahela nodded before she took a step back slightly, knowing the serious nature of the conversation that needed to be had. "It's wonderful to see you as well, though there is a reason."

"I am not surprised," she gently laughed. "Always moving with a purpose when you come by. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Well, I certainly hope so." Lahela let the idea linger as she glanced over, stopping a familiar bird swooping in. A moment later, Maui was stood just a few feet away, eyeing Lahela and her mother.

"So glad you waited for me," Maui said as he narrowed his eyes at Lahela, though his smirk told her that he was merely joking. He walked over to stand beside her then, ready to jump into whatever conversation had been started.

Lahela and Maui both looked over at her mother only to see her with a discerning look as she watched Maui join them before her ever present smile appeared again.

"I heard my daughter had started travelling with someone, but I had doubted it to be true. Seems I was wrong." She bowed her head slightly as she dipped into a shallow curtsy. "I'm Hoku, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Maui stared dumbfounded momentarily as before he realized he should probably be acting more respectful to the goddess in front of him. He quickly bowed then, nearly stumbling in his swift movement. "And you as well, I'm Maui," he finished as he raised back up.

The muffled giggle from beside him caused him to glare as he glanced at Lahela.

"Lahela was just about to tell me why she came to visit," Hoku started before she paused for a moment, watching them skeptically. "Or perhaps you are why she came. I never thought I'd see the day," she stated as she looked back at her daughter. "I was starting to believe you were determined to remain on your own rather than find someone to marry."

"Mother!" Lahela shouted mortified, trying to think of a way to end this conversation before it started.

Maui laughed at the comment along with Lahela's sudden discomfort. This was not what he had been expecting when meeting Hoku but he certainly wouldn't trade it for something else.

"You are allowed to change your mind, Lahela." Her mother started, easing up on her daughter, knowing that she would only take so much teasing. It did warm her heart to at least see her opening up to someone and not simply hiding herself away. As she let her thoughts drift, she turned her attention to Maui. "I apologize, I know that is not why you are here, though I am glad to see she hasn't chased you away."

Lahela stood to the side, a blush on her face as she looked away from the two, trying to ignore the conversation currently. "If you knew, then why say it at all," she mumbled to herself.

"You're not the first to think that," Maui added in, not missing the opportunity to tease Lahela a bit more, knowing that she would be listening even if she tried to hide it. "But you're right, we've got bigger problems than this girl's attitude."

"Excuse me!" Lahela shouted, turning indignantly to confront Maui. "I do not have an attitude problem!" Rather than accept her words though, she received more laughter from the pair. "Fine, think what you want." She huffed as she crossed her arms before she looked at her mother seriously, getting them back on track. "We were hoping you might now more about what has been going on recently."

Hoku titled her head slightly, expecting more information. "What do you mean?"

"The villages have been acting strange," Maui added in. "Some are fine, but others have started fighting. Some are just arguing but others are practically at war."

"It can't simply be a natural occurrence. There's too many, happening too quickly," Lahela finished, making sure her mother understood why it seemed a problem to her. "Based on what we've seen, I was thinking it might have been caused by one of the other gods." Her last words were spoken more quietly, knowing her mother wouldn't be happy to hear an accusation like that from the start, but she didn't wish to waste more time leading up to it.

"Lahela," Hoku warned as she stepped closer to her, speaking in a low, warning tone. "I hope you realize what you would be starting with words like that."

Lahela nodded her head and glanced at Maui as she took a breath, hoping they were still thinking the same thing. Asking for help had never been a strength of hers. She knew her mother wouldn't help on something like this without hearing actually words asking for assistance. "I do know, and I'm not doing this lightly. I was hoping you would be able to help though. While I have my suspicions, I really don't know." She paused as she looked off to the side. Her mother meanwhile waited silently, a patient look on her face. "You tend to see a lot that is going on. Have you seen anyone traveling more than usual? I was thinking it might have been War, or Darkness…"

There was a moment of silence as Hoku pursed her lips and turned away, looking out towards the ocean in the distance. Maui looked at Lahela, suddenly skeptical about whether her mother would actually help or not.

"I would look into Keaka," Hoku finally said as she turned back around. "I have seen her more often recently, but that is all. Do not act irrationally, Lahela. I am not tell you that I am suspicious of her. That is for you still to decide."

"I know. I won't."

"We won't," Maui corrected as he stepped closer to Lahela, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. And don't worry, I'll keep her from doing anything to crazy."

Hoku smiled at his words and nodded. "I'm glad. Try to keep her out of too much trouble for me."

"I'm not that bad," Lahela added as she pouted at their words. "You guys act like I just run into things blindly."

"That's practically all you do, especially if you let those emotions of yours get involved," Maui said with a shake of his head, laughing as he saw her mother nod in agreement.

"Whatever," Lahela shot down their words. "We should probably get going. Thank you, mother."

Hoku nodded. "Alright." She focused on Maui then. "If you don't mind, I'd like to speak to my daughter for a moment before you both head off. It was wonderful meeting you, Maui." She startled the demigod then by embracing him lightly before she pulled away with a smile.

"Sure, thanks for the help, Hoku" he said as he looked at the woman. Though it sounded like a request, that was definitely his dismissal. He turned to Lahela then. "See you at the boat." He gave her a silent look then of good luck, unsure what the private conversation might be, but perhaps she would need it. He transformed then as he took to the sky.

Lahela watched as Maui travelled away from them before turning back to Hoku and raising an eyebrow. She had an idea of what this was going to turn into and she rather hoped she was wrong.

"I can see why you've been travelling with Maui these last few months," her mother said simply, waiting to gauge what her reaction would be.

Lahela shrugged, silently thinking before she spoke her words. "Yeah, well after so many years by myself, it is a nice change."

"Yes, that's true," Hoku started. "Of course, I would have assumed you would have left after helping him restore the heart to Te Fiti."

"Well, yeah… Normally. Like I said, it was a nice change and he said I could so why not…" Lahela spoke wearily.

Hoku studied her daughter silently before she pulled her closer and sat down on the ground where they were, bringing her down as well.

"You've changed quite a bit, I feel, since we last saw each other. I always worry for you. Things can be tough, but here you are, helping to save the world, saving humans. Who would have guessed? I feel I should thank Maui for that, and… Moana, was it? The human that had helped?"

Lahela nodded as she smiled fondly, remember the girl she hadn't seen in months. It was that moment that they two clearly seemed to be related, shown simply through a smile. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I hadn't thought about it. I mean, I'm still not that fond of being around them, but they're not that bad."

Hoku chuckled at her daughter's words. "Of course… I want you to know that if you ever change your mind about Maui, he already has your mother's approval. He's certainly an improvement over the last one."

Lahela groaned as she shook her head and stood up. "We're not even gonna mention that one. And approval or not, it's not happening. We're just traveling together. Friends."

There was a knowing look on her mother's face as she stood up with her. "Fine, no mentioning him, but I don't think Maui would agree with your idea of friends. Friends may tease each other, but not like that, and he wouldn't look at you like that either."

"I don't think so," Lahela said quickly, trying to keep herself from blushing. "You are seeing things."

Hoku laughed before she pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Either way, do what makes you happy. I will always support you."

Lahela hugged her back tightly. It was a comfort she hadn't had in ages, after all, she was well beyond the age of needing her mother to help with decisions, but it was nice to know. "I know," she said quietly before she pulled away. "I'm surprised you'd be so approving though…"

Hoku quickly caught her meaning without needing it to be said. "Because he is a demigod? I don't see why that should matter, though I must say your father might not be so openminded. But when have you ever sought our approval on anything?" She smiled as she pushed some of her daughter's hair back. "Just be safe and be happy. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Take care."

Lahela nodded, quiet for a moment as she took in her mother's words. "I will, don't worry. I'll be sure to visit a little sooner next time. Bye." She smiled one last time and hugged her mother quickly before she stepped back and disappeared in a flash of lightning.

She appeared just a short distance from the boat and spotted Maui storing items away in the hatch. "We ready to go?"

"Yep, just restocked a bit." Maui said as he turned to look at her. "Ready when you are."

They had only been out at sea for a short while, the island still visible in the background when Maui tied down the sails, course set though their destination was unclear yet. "Well, Hoku sure is something," he said with a smirk as the goddess turned her attention to him. "Gotta say, I like her."

Lahela rolled her eyes, just imagining what he would be saying if he had heard the later part of her conversation with her mother. "Yeah, well I think you won her over as well."

"Obviously, since she thinks we're getting married."

"She does not! You're all hopeless!" She yelled as turned away from him, ignoring the laughter behind her.

Maui only gave her a moment before he got up in order to sit down beside her. "She's the one that said it. Just embrace it," Maui said as he slung his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, teasing her as he leaned his face closer to her as well. "As long as we're traveling together, those rumors aren't gonna go anywhere."

Her mind immediately flashed to her mother's words and she blushed heavily as she tried to pull back quickly. "Doesn't mean we need to encourage it," she squeaked, cursing herself as her voice portrayed her discomfort. Her heartbeat sped up as she stood up, nearly stumbling off the boat in her haste. She tried to ignore the lingering warmth of where his arm had just been. "We have more important things to be focusing on. Let people think what they like."

Maui shook his head lightly as he watched Lahela, smiling at her actions though it was unseen as she had her back to him. "Alright, then what shall we do for now?"

Lahela turned back around, though a light blush was still present, she calmed down enough to look at him. "Keaka. I think we need to try to figure out what she might be doing."

The demigod looked at up at her as he guessed what her plan might have been. "We're not going after her yet. We can figure out where she's been or going though. See if there's a connection between her and the villages. For all we know, she might not have anything to do with it. Maybe the Goddess of Darkness just wanted a change of scenery."

She dropped her shoulders slightly, knowing it wasn't her ideal plan but certainly the smarter one. "Doubtful, but alright. And I think I know where to start."

With a plan of action in mind, the pair set a new course. They finally had something to go off of, no matter how small it may be. And that was an improvement over the blind traveling that had been going on recently. They just hoped it was the right course, otherwise it was back to the beginning.

* * *

 _And that's it for now! Let me know what you thought in a review, the good, the bad, the squealing. Then again, that might just be me cause I know what's coming. I am so excited to get to the next part. While I won't tell you much as far as plot goes, I will tell you that our favorite human makes an appearance next chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _This was originally going to be two chapters, but I couldn't handle the idea of writing out the first part and not finishing the second one as well. So, you get an extra long chapter. I have had this chapter haunting my mind since I first started this story. It's the only thing that I've been wanted to get written and it's finally here. Hopefully it makes sense as well cause I was definitely falling asleep while trying to finish it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did._

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Maui and Lahela sat lazily on a hill, watching a village as they went about their day, just like the last day, for the fourth day in a row. After a fair amount of searching and finding trails, they had finally caught up to Keaka. It seemed like the Goddess of Darkness had finally moved on to the next location, which left them waiting to see if anything changed.

"So why did you think it was Keaka again?" Maui asked, lounging back as he watched a few villagers working on gathering food in the distance. "I get that she's the goddess of darkness but how does that make her involved in this? It's not like the villages are being covered in actual darkness."

Lahela glanced at him, seeing that the conversation had mostly stemmed from his boredom. "Keaka doesn't just control the dark. She can influence people's thoughts. It's both outer darkness and inner. I can't say I know exactly what it is, I've never met her nor do I talk to anyone that has met her either."

"That's cause you don't talk to anyone," Maui interjected, unable to help himself from commenting on her lack of social interactions. "So you think she's making everyone go all dark and turn on each other?"

She shrugged, trailing her eyes back towards one group of villagers in particular who had started arguing over how their work was getting down. "I do think so, though I don't know why those couple villages reacted so pourly to us unless it was simply a side effect."

Maui followed her line of sight, seeing what caught her attention before he spoke. "Either way, this seems like a likely choice."

"Yes…" Lahela just wasn't sure what to do about it. They needed to talk to her. "We should probably start following her again, before she gets too far." As much as she wanted to jump to conclusions and face her just to fix it, she knew they needed to see more. Arguing amongst the villagers wasn't enough, though they had already seen quite a bit of it in the few days there, but nothing more.

"Sounds good." Maui stood up then and offered her a hand before he helped her to her feet. "I think we need to add one more stop to our list though."

As Lahela finished brushing off the dirt and smoothing out her blue skirt, she looked up in confusion. "What stop?"

"Moana."

Lahela's eyes widened as she realized the implications. Her village could have been in any state right now and she hadn't even given it a thought. It made her feel terrible really, especially after how close she had gotten with the girl. "I can't believe I hadn't thought of that." The worry was clear in her voice. "You're right. I think we're done here anyway."

"Let's go then. We'll see where we end up first. We'll stop again if we cross paths with Keaka, otherwise we'll head straight to Moana's village." Maui clarified the plan, assuming Lahela would most likely agree, and if not, she'd certainly voice her opinion at least.

* * *

Despite their desire to check on Moana, a few extra days passed before they could get there. Keaka made her presence very easily known on the next island. A fire was scene from a distance, though not nearly as bad as the first one they encountered. The easiest thing to spot was the shouting. So much anger between the villagers. Accusations of stealing, threats being made and punches being thrown were suddenly in abundance. And they knew it was Keaka because they watched her disappear right as they got there, watching her work for another moment before she slipped into the shadows.

Through all their attempts to help find peace, it did little for the village. A few could be swayed, but many were blinded by their anger. Eventually, Lahela and Maui had to give up and leave it as it was. Whether the village would still be standing in the future was unclear. They did know that they would waste no more time there though. Moana was their top priority.

With the wind pushing the sails forward, aided by Lahela, they made extra fast time as they moved towards where they knew Moana's village had relocated to. Though it wasn't a permanent home for all, many had settled there. Lahela suspected that Moana would be spending more time at home if she had realized what was happening on the other islands, though perhaps she didn't know at all.

The second their boat was on shore, the pair jumped off of it and ran through the sand and they ran directly towards where the new village stood. Many buildings stood complete, though around the outside, people could still be seen working on new additions that were discovered to be needed. Much had gotten done in a short time.

Lahela paused before they actually entered the village, causing Maui to stop along with her. He looked at her, puzzled by why she wasn't going in. "Finding Moana is easier if we go in, you know."

She just shook her head as she looked around. "No, I never had to go in her village. She'll find us, don't worry. Besides, we're here to see if everything is fine." She paused as she looked at him smiling a little as she waited for him to actually take in what was in front of them. "They are fine, more than fine. They're still building a village, not taking it down."

Agreeing with her words, Maui decided to do it her way, though he found it rather silly considering that he had gotten her to walk into other villages yet she wouldn't go into Moana's. But they waited and observed. It didn't take long before Maui decided to speed it up. Without a word to the goddess beside him, he transformed into a rabbit and made his way into the village. Before long, he spotted just the girl he was looking for and darted in front of her in order to catch her attention. With her eyes on him, he transformed again into a small bird and went into the surrounding trees.

A short game of follow the leader them back to where Lahela was impatiently staring into the village, a scowl on her face. It wasn't until Maui transformed back that she realized she had company. She turned around, rant already prepared in her mind. "What do you-" She paused midsentence as she looked at Moana standing in front of her, smiling as she tried to muffle her laughter.

"Hi, Lahela" She greeted happily. "Hi, Maui." She didn't waste another second before she pulled each of them in for a hug which they both returned. "I can't believe you're here! So much has been happening around here," she said excitedly.

"That's good to hear." Lahela quickly realized she knew nothing about the other villages and it was refreshing to know things had been going well for Moana.

"I'm sure it's an improvement over what we've been up to," Maui added before he suddenly felt something run into his leg. Then again. He glanced down and raised as eyebrow. "And there's the chicken," he said surprised before he picked HeiHei up and plopped him into Moana's hands. "Still alive, I see."

Moana looked at them, grinning as she held HeiHei closer to her chest. "I was wondering if you two actually met back up. I'm so glad you did. I hated the idea of you two staying on your own."

"She just couldn't stay way," Maui said with a smirk as pointed towards Lahela.

The comment earned a stomp in response and a glare from the goddess. "I could so have stayed away. You're lucky you get my company."

Before they could start bickering too much, Moana started laughing lightly as she set down the chicken and looked between the pair. "It's good to know the two of you aren't trying to kill each other without me there either. After how badly you wanted to kill him, Lahela, it's funny to see you getting along."

"Why does the conversation always go to this!" Lahela said exasperatedly before she held her breath and ran her hand through her hair. "I'm done if you made a single comment about us being together," she warned as she pointed at the girl.

Moana held up her hands in mock surrender and glanced at Maui, unsure where this came from but her smile still stayed on. "I was just say it's nice that you're getting along."

"Can't say the rest of the world is getting along," Maui said he let Lahela have a break from the conversation. He wouldn't doubt her actually freaking out next time over those comments.

Moana looked at him worriedly as she noticed the serious undertone to his words even if his words had sounded easygoing. "What's going on? Is that why you're here?"

Lahela nodded as she explained, "Yeah, there's been a lot of problems going on in other villages. Arguing, fighting, nearly a war in some. We came to see if you were okay."

"Did you know why it's happening? Maybe I can help," Moana quickly offered.

"No way," Maui jumped in. "We're not even completely sure right now but if we're dealing with another goddess, you need to stay out of it. Play princess for your village-"

"Chief," Moana cut him off. "And that doesn't mean I can't help! I helped with Te Fiti."

"No, I agree with Maui. This is different; besides you have a responsibility to your people," Lahela reasoned.

Moana stepped forward with every intention of arguing until she got her way. "How is it different? My people can survive without me for a bit, especially if they're in danger. Everyone is in danger. I can help with this too. Just tell me what we can do."

Lahela shook her head at Moana. "That's just it, we don't know. We knew exactly what we would be facing when returning the heart. This is a mystery."

"You help out and you probably won't get to see that village of yours again," Maui added.

Moana was beyond annoyed, seeing how hypocritical they were being even if they didn't. "Oh, so now you two are suddenly eager to help save the world but you didn't want to when I asked for help. Just let me help, if it really turns out to be that dangerous then I'll stop but you said it yourself. You don't know, so why not?"

"No way, kid, I'm not watching you kill yourself." Maui said with finality.

Lahela sighed as she looked at her. "Look, just stay here for now. Let us figure it out and if we think you can help, I'll let you know. I promise. Please."

Moana quieted down then as she looked at the goddess before her. She understood that they cared, and they were probably right. She was just a human, and she didn't even know if the ocean would help her out this time. "Fine," she said in defeat. "I expect you to keep your word though. Let me know if I can help. And either way… Just come back so I know you two are safe, okay?"

"Deal," Lahela said as Maui echoed her word.

"I take it you're going to be leaving now?" Moana asked dejectedly after a moment.

"Nah, we can hang around for a bit at least," Maui said, bringing the mood back up as he leaned on Moana, nearly toppling the girl over causing her to laugh.

"Great! There's so much I'd love to show you around the village," she said as she bounced back into a happier mood.

"Sure," Maui quickly agreed.

Lahela hesitated however, glancing towards the village then back at Moana. "You know what, I'm gonna pass. Go ahead and show Maui. You can tell me all about it later."

Moana looked like she wanted to protest but she knew how unlikely it was to get her into a village so she didn't push it. "Alright, I'll see you later then."

Lahela watched the pair make their way into the village before she turned. She could keep herself entertained for a little while without the need of interacting with other humans. At this point, she hardly knew why she still stayed out. It's true that she still wasn't comfortable around them, but she had been getting better at it. Plus, it was Moana. There was only so much time she could spend with her during her human life compared to her immortal one. She let the opportunity pass though so it was better to just accept it.

She sighed as she walked along a path cut through the trees. Based on the constant sound of the ocean, she knew it had to run parallel to the beach so she wasn't concerned about getting too far off that she would get lost somehow even if she simply wandered. By the time she had gotten quite a distance away, she realized not much sunlight was breaking through the trees. Surely she hadn't been walking so long that the sun was setting. Lahela doubted that she had lost track of time that badly, but it left a feeling of suspicion and uneasy with her instead.

Lahela began wondering if it was a good thing they had come here. If Keaka was behind this, they could catch her before anything happened. This was the perfect opportunity. They didn't have to chase anymore. She paused as she looked back at where she came. She needed to turn back and get Maui, let him know.

The rustling of leaves suddenly caught her attention behind her as she snapped back around, sweeping her eyes over the wildlife in front of her. Nothing seemed out of place. Even the animals didn't seem disturbed. Movement just to her left caught her attention then, but yet again, nothing was there. With her unease, dark clouds started to gather overhead and she couldn't help but curse herself for not staying calm. With the sunlight blocked, it was like walking during twilight. That's when she spotted movement again, just in front of her.

She had to make a decision, go back for Maui or follow, perhaps she would regret the decision but she followed. There was no time to risk losing this opportunity. Lahela just had to believe that she could do it. After all, there wasn't much Keaka could do if it was her. And if it wasn't, maybe she was simply going insane.

With determination in her steps, Lahela began to chase the figure through the dark. Minutes went by as she paid little attention to where she went. Suddenly though, she was out in the open. Jagged rocks stood in front of her. A cliff leading several feet further up, and a cliff that dropped quite a ways down to the ocean below. And walking in front of her was Keaka.

She had only seen her from a distance before, but she knew it was still her. Any doubt was erased as she heard her quietly start chanting a few words. An opening appeared then on the ground, black as a gray mist swirled about from it. The moment it appeared, Keaka glanced back, looked directly at Lahela, then turned around and jumped in without a word. All common sense told Lahela not to follow, but with her adrenaline already pushing her this far, she didn't bother thinking her actions through. She ran straight for the opening and jumped, knowing it wouldn't stay open forever.

An overwhelming darkness surrounded her then that startled Lahela. Panic set in then as she realized she was falling without a clue to where or when she would land. Bracing herself, she tried to prepare, but she merely continued falling, the dark as her only company. Then it was the ground. With an unintended scream, Lahela collided hard against the rough surface, scraping her arms and legs as she failed to catch herself, rolling instead against what she could only assume was rock.

She scrambled to stand up as she steadied her breathing, trying to focus through the dark. It helped little, barely able to make any outlines in the area.

"You should have known better, Lahela." A quiet, feminine voice spoke from ahead of her.

The goddess of storms didn't reply, knowing truer words couldn't be spoken. She had messed up.

"That's fine, you don't have to talk. I will."

Lahela kept her eyes forward where the voice came from, slowly stepping forward with caution.

"That was a bit foolish of you. But, allow me to shed some light on the situation. This much darkness is a bit dramatic, even for me."

She could suddenly see a bit, though the area was still dim. It appeared to be a cave of some sort. There several steps away stood Keaka, looking as calm as ever as she simply watched Lahela, the women staring at each other.

"Do you know why this was foolish?" Keaka asked quietly.

Lahela eyed her wearily. "Why?"

Arms suddenly wrapped around hers, blocking her from moving as she was slammed into the ground. "Because it was a trap!" The person above her shouted as they pinned her to the ground, easily overpowering her. "I'm glad you decided to participate so willingly, and even better that Maui decided not to join us."

Lahela struggled as she tried to get her arms free or push her captor off, but it was no luck. All her panic seemed to do was bring in gusts of wind, reaching them from the opening of the cave. "Let go!" she yelled, trying to conjure up her powers. Breaking through physical barriers was difficult though without fighting. She expected it to be nearly impossible to create any sort of storm inside the cave.

"We're just getting started though." Through her struggling, she managed to twist enough to see who pinned her down, eyes landing on a god she hadn't seen in ages. "It's been quite annoying hearing your name all over and words of praise. That's supposed to be mine!"

"It is yours!" Lahela cried as she glanced up at the God of War and Peace. Nakoa wasn't known for being merciful. We created wars just so he could gain glory by ending them or helping one side annihilate the other. "Everybody knows you bring peace." If her words would help at all, she didn't know, but she didn't know what else to do. She looked back at Keaka then, silently begging for help but she did not move.

"You're right, it is mine. And I'm going to make sure it stays that way." Nakoa roughly pushed her against the ground as he looked up at Keaka. "If you wouldn't mind."

Lahela's eyes widened as the other goddess stepped forward and she struggled with all her might, heart racing as she tried everything to get the god off of her. This shouldn't have happened. If it had been just her and Keaka, she was sure it wouldn't have happened. She cried as she struggled more when she knelt in front of her. Nakoa grabbed an arm and twisted it causing her to cry out, ceasing her struggles.

Keaka placed a hand along the side of her head then, sitting in silence. It didn't take long to find what she needed though. She looked down at the trapped goddess. "So many doubts make you much easier to break." Her words were quiet but her point was clear. She could only influence her thoughts through physical contact and she just found exactly what she needed.

Tears pooled in Lahela's eyes as she weakly pushed again Nakoa. She started to wonder what the point was though. She would return to Maui but what was the point? All she had been doing was pushing him away really. Everyone thought they were good together but that had to be wrong. No one could like her. She was too angry all the time. Too closed off. Her emotions were unpredictable, causing a problem that she couldn't even control. It didn't seem like she had too many good qualities going for her. Maui would be better off if she stopped.

She collapsed then with fists clenched, eyes pressed shut. She hardly noticed what went on around her as the wind whipped by, light sprinkling of rain mixing with the tears on her face. She knew Maui was with Moana. All she did was cause that girl problems and be useless. Time and again, she asked for help and she did nothing. What kind of person was she. She had nearly drowned Moana at one point. Then she merely ditched her on the island, moving on without really caring what she did. And Maui had to remind her she was even around. Just another person better off without her. What was she really contributing to the world right now?

People praised her, but for what? She wasn't needed when returning the heart. And before that she did nothing. Just watched the world slowly ending. She wasn't even doing something that the humans could praise her for, and they are happy with just about anything. Instead, she destroys their lives.

A cold chill crept through her as she curled up on herself, pushing back her soaking wet hair from her face, though it fell back there a second later. Eyes pressed shut, she help her hands over her head. She could almost hear people yelling at her, saying her name in a scolding manner as they pointed out her faults.

When she thought about it, even the humans and all their imperfections knew how screwed up she was. They feared her because they knew she only brought misfortune to people. Gods or humans, she was a curse.

Lahela broke into sobs, unable to control her breathing as she realized how delusional she must have been all this time. She was nearly hyperventilating when hands suddenly wrapped around her arms, trying to pull her up. She cried out as she pushed away from the figure in front of her, The sudden movement made her aware of the freezing cold that had settled on her as she felt rain belting down on her. All she knew was that someone was trying to grab her again. She couldn't let herself be worse though. She didn't know how she managed to find the will to fight for her pathetic life.

Suddenly she was shoved against the wall of the cave, rock digging into her back. It allowed her to somewhat focus on the blurry figure in front of her. Even with open eyes now, between tears and rain and heavy breathing, her anxious state left little focus on what was currently in front of her.

It was only after she heard her name that she finally focused a bit. It wasn't the first time she heard it. She didn't think it was even the tenth, but for some reason, she heard that one.

"Lahela," the voice was calm but urgent, almost like they were hiding their own panic. "Lahela, breathe. I need you to breathe." One of the hands from her arm suddenly move to her head, running through her hair. Though it was wet and tangled, it still seemed to be a calming motion.

Breathe. Had she not been breathing? The deep breath she took told her no. Through the tears that still fell, it was difficult to breath. Instead she just focused on the voice and followed the instructions. She opened her eyes again then, though she couldn't remember closing them. And she saw the familiar figure in front of her, holding her up as if he were her rock. She didn't understand what was going on. "Maui?" Her voice cracked as she whispered his name, nearly causing her to break down again. He shouldn't have been there. It didn't make sense with what she knew was right.

"It's okay, Lahela. Just relax," he said quietly, whispering to her soothingly.

Shivering in her spot, soaking wet and feeling as if she had been falling apart, her breath hitched at his words before she gripped his arms tightly, not caring if she was hurting him before she crumpled against him. Right or wrong, for whatever reason, he was there. She wasn't alone and it's the only thing she had to hold onto right then.

* * *

 _I'm sorry that I'm not sorry_. _Angst and drama is what I like for, at least with my characters. I've had that planned for months, though I feel like that might have come out of nowhere so sorry if you weren't expecting that. Anyway, please let me know what you thought. A bit of my soul went into that, and it will be carried over into the next chapter. Thanks for reading!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _Next chapter up! I feel very accomplished for getting so much done in the last couple days. Anyway, this chapter starts a bit differently than usual with a bit of a flashback. Enjoy!  
_

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Inside the cave, Maui sat with Lahela wrapped in his arms, thinking about what happened. A slight breeze continuously swept past them, replacing the storm that she had somehow created inside. He was still reliving the panic he felt when he realized something was wrong.

Prior to everything that happened, he and Moana had finished up walking around, but continued talking since Lahela was still nowhere in sight. It was subtle at first, when the clouds started rolling in. He briefly wondered what would have happened if he had been paying better attention and noticed the weather changing. It wasn't until the wind picked up and the rain started falling without warning that the pair looked at each other in concern. Sudden storms were never a good thing when traveling with the goddess of storms.

"Is this Lahela?" Moana asked as she sprinted over to get out from the rain, standing beneath some trees for shelter. "Why the sudden storm?"

"I don't know," a sudden strike of lightning caught Maui's attention, followed by another. "Just get your village inside for now. I'm going to find her. She wouldn't be doing this on purpose."

Moana's eyes widened. "Do you think something happened? There shouldn't be anything on this island causing problems," she said quietly, concerned for her friend. She hadn't considered the possibility of their latest problem following them instead.

Maui looked back towards where the lightning had been gathering, sure it was a sign. "Just stay here!" he shouted before he took off. The storm had only continued getting worse. Between the rain, wind and thunder in the air, it was becoming impossible to speak anyway. He suddenly realized he had no idea how bad her storms could get. She had always been controlling them, but he doubted this was the case. Why would she do something like this here where Moana was?

It had taken him a while, flying around trying to find her, before he seemed to have any luck. The opening was barely noticeable, blending into the dark rocks of the cliff. The second he walked in, everything was worse, a far more condensed storm and he knew he'd found her. It didn't take long to spot her then, but it was far from what he had been expecting. He expected to see typical Lahela, shouting and fighting, the typical rage that tended to spark storms for her. Instead, he found her curled up on the ground and even through the deafening wind, he could hear that she was crying.

She responded to none of his words though. Fought against his touch. Desperate to help her, he didn't know what else to do besides get her to actually focus on him. He picked her up then and pushed her against the wall, standing so she had to look at him. His guilt at treating her like that would have to wait. He stood there for minutes, holding up the broken woman in front of him that could hardly breathe through her distress. It was killing him, and he still didn't know what happened or if he was even helping.

More time passed as he tried to calm her before she finally quieted down. It was only after Maui heard his name that he knew he had gotten through to her.

It was how he found himself holding Lahela on the damp cave ground. She had clung to him like her life depended on it, but he didn't mind. As long as it calmed her down. Hopefully the storm had given up outside as well.

The demigod continued to run his hand over her hair, twisting the crimson strands through his fingers until she finally calmed down. He glanced at her when he no longer felt her moving so much or crying. He blinked in surprise when he realized she hadn't simply calmed down, but instead she had passed out on him.

Maui knew he wasn't keep them in the cave any longer than necessary. At least now he'd be able to move her without any issues. He sighed as he picked Lahela up, still cold to the touch, as he held her in his arms. Despite the movement, she didn't stir at all. It was then that he made his way back to the village, keeping an eye on her with every step he took.

As he expected, the weather had calmed down outside completely, though branches and leaves were scattered around, covering the path that had once been clear. The ground was soaked as well, puddles nearly impossible to dodge. Surprisingly, before he even reached the village, Maui saw Moana standing against a tree, looking out in the distance.

Her head snapped to the side when she heard Maui walking towards her. Her eyes widened when she saw that he was carrying Lahela and she raced across the rest of the distance to meet him. "What happened to Lahela? Is she alright?" Moana cried as she looked between her friends.

"We can talk later," Maui dismissed her questions, easing none of her concern. "Got anywhere she can rest?"

"Yeah," she said quietly, not moving her eyes away from Lahela. She brought them just inside the village, avoid others as they still seemed to be hidden away in their home. When they entered one of the building, Maui assumed it was Moana's but didn't ask. Once Lahela was set down and covered with a blanket thanks to Moana, Maui sat down ready to explain what had happened. He just hoped when she woke up, they would have more answers and less problems.

* * *

When Lahela finally awoke, she was disoriented and confused as she looked around the hut she was in. She had no idea how she got there. Then she remembered the cave and everything that happened, nearly bringing her to a panic. She somehow knew she was safe though and took a breath, focusing instead on where she currently was. Voices from outside the room caught her attention though and she slowly pushed the blanket off of her and stood up.

Slow, steady steps brought her to the doorway where she finally recognized the voices. Not caring to listen to what they were talking about, she stepped forward and interrupted Maui and Moana's conversation, bringing it to a halt.

"Lahela!" Moana said in surprise, smiling to see the goddess up again. "How are you?"

"Fine." Her response was short as she looked at the two as they studied her.

"Glad you're up," Maui said slowly, withholding his current questions, instead waiting for Lahela to start talking.

Lahela looked over her shoulder, spotting where she had been sleeping just moments before. "Yeah, I suppose I have you to thank for that." Her words were directed at Maui but she didn't turn to look at him.

Maui watched her, hoping she would look at either of them. "Couldn't just let you drown the place, could I? I wouldn't leave you there, anyway." His teasing tone didn't seem to help much.

Feeling the awkward atmosphere, Moana decided to leave Maui to handle Lahela until she seemed in a more open mood. "I have some things I need to help with but let me know if you need anything." She smiled softly before she hugged Lahela, the goddess stiffened under her touch, choosing not to return the gesture. Moana frowned when she pulled away and placed her hand on Maui's arm as she looked at him, silently hoping for him to have a better outcome on his own. She could sense that there were things he wanted to say without her present. The least she could do is give them a moment.

"I'll let you know, thanks Moana," Maui said as he listened to her walk away.

Lahela shifted her weight as she ignored Maui, unsure what to say. For everything that was on her mind, she didn't know how to bring any of it up. After the silence became too much for her, she took a breath and looked at the ground. "I'm sorry I caused so many problems. Not just for you either." She wasn't blind to what destruction she had caused around the village. There were clear signs of a large storm passing through. A storm she knew she caused. "You don't need to waste your time watching over me anymore." She looked at him then and took a breath, resolving herself. "I'm not causing more problems for you. I'm leaving."

Maui stared at her in disbelief, unsure where any of this was coming from. "I don't think so. I don't know what you're going on about, but there's no reason for you to leave." He crossed his arms as he watched her. "You don't want to cause problems, then fix them first."

She shook her head quickly. "No. I keep dragging you into more problems. Even if I stick around-"

"Enough," Maui snapped, cutting her off. "What is with this attitude all of a sudden? You really want to just run away?"

"No! I'm not running away!" she stepped forward to confront him, looking up at him. "I'm doing what's better for everyone. For you. For Moana. I'm not helping anybody by sticking around." She tried to walk around him then, away from the conversation, away from everything. He grabbed her arm though, turning her around to face him but didn't let go.

"What happened yesterday, Lahela?" He had his suspicions now, but why hadn't she said anything since she woke up?

"Nothing happened, I just realized the truth." Lahela struggled to pull her arm away from him but it did nothing.

He shook his head, not believing her words. "No. There's more to your words. What happened?" He paused when he realized he was practically yelling at her. They were simply yelling at each other. He took a breath and tried to calm his voice some. Obviously, that wasn't helping. "Why were you in that cave yesterday?"

Her arms slackened as she thought over his words. "Why?" She could hardly remember why. All she remembered was an overwhelming darkness and helplessness. "I don't remember. I must have walked there." She guessed, filling in her story.

"Was Keaka there?" He wasn't aware of how much she could influence a god, but it was the only explanation he had.

She looked down as she thought over what happened. She had been following someone, chasing them. Was it Keaka? She shook her head suddenly and pulled her arm away. "It doesn't matter. That's not the point. Why would you want me to stay around? All I do is argue with you and push you away. I mean, I punched you the first time we met! Why would you want to willingly spend time with me? I'm doing you a favor."

"In case you don't remember, I asked you to come along," he pointed out, raising his voice yet again matching hers. "Believe me, if I didn't want you around, you wouldn't be. These aren't your real thoughts! Keaka did something. She was there, wasn't she. I don't know why you can't admit it."

"Because it doesn't matter that she was there! These are my real thoughts. Just let me do something good for a change! Leaving is the one thing I can do."

That was as much of a confirmation as he needed, but he realized it helped with nothing. They had never figured out how to help anyone that had been influenced by Keaka, though he recalled a few people that could be reasoned with. He had a feeling that it was different when it was a goddess that was influenced. "Lahela, just listen for a minute!" When she didn't move or speak, just continued looking at him, he continued. "You're not that big of a problem. You helped Moana and me save the world and Te Fiti. You're helping now. I doubt Moana would be happy if you walked away. Do you know why?"

Lahela looked out towards the rest of the village where Moana most likely would be but said nothing. Her lack of words annoyed him, but he continued anyway. "Moana likes you. You couldn't have forgotten how happy she was to see us yesterday."

"No," she said quietly, taking in his words. "I remember. But I've already caused problems for her again."

"Who doesn't cause problems?" Maui yelled, running out of patience. "I'm lucky you put up with me. We both know I was no picnic when we first met."

Lahela shook her head, dismissing his point. "I know why I stuck around! You don't have to tell me. After spending time with you and Moana, the idea of being on my own sounded terrible!"

"Then why do that now!"

"Because you deserve better!" Lahela closed her eyes after yelling that, saying the rest without looking at him. "Why don't you understand that? The humans always understood the trouble I cause, why can't you?"

"Why don't you understand that it's because I like you?" his quick response made her open her eyes again.

Lahela shook her head quickly, her hair hitting her face before she spoke. "You already said that, and I told you-"

"You're hopeless," he said exasperated. "You couldn't have been so oblivious that you didn't catch all my teasing recently." He stepped closer to her then as he ran his fingers through her hair, fixing some of her hair.

She stared up at him as she struggled to remember to breath. "It has been noticed," and certainly noticed by everyone else as well if she recalled all the comments. "But-"

"Shut up already and just accept that I want you around." Maui barely finished his words before he pulled her closer and kissed her without hesitation. He couldn't possibly make his point any clearer.

Lahela stood paralyzed as she processed what was going on. It only took a second before she kissed him back. It was short lived before he pulled away and opened his eyes to look down at her.

"Did I convince you to stick around?" Maui said as he smirked, catching the blush that quickly spread over Lahela's face.

She swallowed before she licked her lips and nodded. "Y-Yeah. Yes. I'll stay. I…" She took a breath and looked away, closing her eyes quickly at how flustered she suddenly was by such a simple act.

As if on cue, she heard Maui begin to laugh at her flustered state which merely made her blush more. She quickly hit him in his chest, pushing him away as she stomped around him. "I'm going to go find Moana." The less she focused on what just happened, the better. She could deal with that later. Besides, it was probably time to discuss what had actually happened and what she had learned.

* * *

 _Finally! I know the wait was killing some of you. That was a long time coming, but next chapter our characters get some more clarity on what's happening. And please let me know what you're thinking with a review. Until next time!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _Barely managed to wrap this up before going to bed so hopefully it all connects. Surprising, I think we've made it half way through the plot, though I might start throwing in some filler chapters for the sake of fluff and stuff. Who knows. Enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter 7**

Lahela focused on her steps as she walked through the village in hopes of finding Moana. A feeling of unease settled on her as she tried to ignore the villagers that were walking around. As expected, they quickly spotted her and were quick to whisper something to others. Surprisingly, nobody came up to her and she was grateful. Everyone was hard at work clearing away the last remnants of the storm and it simply brought back a feeling of guilt. She didn't need to focus on that though. She needed to find Moana, return to Maui, and explain what had happened as best she could.

A sigh of relief escaped her lips when she spotted her friend and rushed up to her. "Moana," she said once she was close enough, catching the girls attention. "Do you have a moment?"

Moana smiled as she realized Lahela seemed to be in a better mood. It set her mind at ease after wondering for what felt like ages. "Of course."

Lahela visibly relaxed as well and returned the smile. "Great, let's head back to Maui." She paused, guilt from the morning coming back slightly. "I have a lot that needs to be explained."

With a nod of her head, Moana walked with Lahela back to the hut she had been resting in. Just outside, Maui stood leaning against it as he waited for them.

The second he spotted them, Maui smirked causing Lahela to blush as she fidgeted with her skirt, trying to ignore the look he gave her. She simply walked up, Moana beside her, though the new atmosphere between the goddess and demigod didn't seem to go unnoticed as Moana smiled herself, hiding it behind her hand.

"Let's go inside to talk," Lahela said as she brushed by Maui, ignoring her quickening heartbeat.

"Alright," Maui said and greeted Moana again before they followed inside. Lahela settled against the wall, Moana beside her as Maui stood in front of them.

Deciding to jump right in before she ended up having any more awkward conversations, Lahela didn't wait for either of them to speak. "Yesterday, I guess?" she started, still unsure how much time had passed since she hadn't been concerned about that prior to now. "When you two were walking around, I went for a walk myself around the island. I saw Keaka while I was out and followed her." She saw the look on Maui's face, knowing what he would say before he even opened his mouth. "I know it was stupid. I realize that."

"Stupid barely covers it!" Maui said as he looked at her in disbelief. "Why didn't you come back?"

Moana cut in quietly, trying to calm the room a bit. "Let her explain, Maui."

"Thank you." Lahela was grateful suddenly that she was including her in this. Though they weren't planning on letting her help much right now, it made this a little more bearable. "As I said, it was stupid, but I as following Keaka and honestly, I thought I could handle that. There's not much she could do to me on her own."

Maui quickly caught onto her meaning as he narrowed his eyes. "Then she wasn't alone."

Lahela nodded as she looked down, gripping her skirt as she held her breath. She wanted nothing more than to forget what happened. "Nakoa was with her."

Moana looked between the two as she tried to place the name. "Nakoa… Isn't he the God of War?"

Maui shook his head. "War and Peace. He doesn't just start wars, he helps end them too. People pray to him to help come to peace."

"I didn't know he was there at first. When I followed Keaka, I couldn't see anything at all. Nakoa snuck up on me. That's why…" Lahela let her words fall, not wanting to admit her failure.

"Wait, what?" Moana asked confused, looking back and forth, surely missing something. "I don't understand. What happened?"

Knowing Lahela wasn't saying more, Maui explained for her what he hoped was right. Even he wasn't too sure about her powers. "Keaka controls darkness, and she can also influence peoples thoughts. Humans are easy to work over. That's why she can affect an entire group. We're different though. It's harder."

"She has to physically touch us, and not just for a second," Lahela finally spoke again but she needed to move suddenly, fidgeting more as she pushed herself off the wall, unconsciously placing herself closer to Maui. "Nakoa held me down, allowing Keaka the time to get into my head. That's… well, you know what happened."

Moana had one last question. "What happened to Nakoa and Keaka?"

Lahela crossed her arms, hugging them close to her chest. "I don't know. I didn't notice when they left. I don't suppose you saw anything." Her last thought directed at Maui.

The demigod shook his head. "No, but at least we know who's behind this. Did they say anything to you?"

"Not much," Lahela admitted. "Nakoa sounded mad though, mad because people are talking about how we restored Te Fiti. But nothing about why they're doing this to the villages."

"I guess that explains why they went after you, barely. But now what?" Maui asked.

Lahela sighed, unsure. "Back to finding answers. If Nakoa is part of this then we need a better plan." She looked at Moana then. "I know you want to help, but you really need to stay out of this for now."

Moana didn't look happy, but she couldn't argue about it. Besides, her village needed her around. Until they knew more, she was okay with waiting. "Alright, just let me know if anything changes." She paused as she noticed how close Lahela had ended up standing next to Maui. She couldn't help but wonder what happened while she was gone, but she supposed that it wasn't her place to ask. If anything else changed would remain a mystery.

* * *

With the end of that conversation, words drifted in other directions to more leisurely topics but it was short lived. As much as they may have wanted to stay and push away the problem from their mind, they knew it wasn't an option. The day was halfway over and Maui and Lahela knew it was time to leave.

As the trio made their way to where the boat was resting, Maui went ahead while the girls made use of their last couple minutes.

"Too bad this wasn't a better visit," Lahela said with a frown as she looked at the girl beside her. "Once this is all done, I'll have to stop by again."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Moana said with a laugh. She slowed down her steps then as she grabbed Lahela's arm to slow her down as well. "I have something that's been on my mind though, before you leave."

She titled her head curiously. "Go ahead, what is it." The smirk Moana immediately picked up told her she probably shouldn't have let her ask.

"Did something happen this morning?" Moana voiced her thoughts, trying to keep from smiling too much the second Lahela started fidgeting. "You've been standing awfully close to Maui since our talk earlier."

Lahela didn't know what to tell her. The truth? Ignore her question? She hardly knew what to say about what happened earlier. She hadn't actually had too much time to think about it since she ran off the second the kiss was over. Honestly, she was acting a bit ridiculous about it. Perhaps talking about it would help, at least until she actually talked to Maui again.

Moana stood quietly as she let Lahela think through her thoughts. She had merely been teasing her a bit but now that she saw how seriously she was considering her question, she wondered just what the answer was.

Finally, Lahela answered as she looked forward where Maui was walking a ways ahead of them.. "When I woke up, my thoughts were still being influenced by Keaka. After a lot of arguing, Maui managed to talk some sense into me, though kissing me was probably his best argument." Lahela couldn't help but smile as she finished saying, blushing, but she couldn't deny that her words were true. She glanced over to see Moana practically beaming at her.

"I knew it!" she squealed before laughing a bit. "Sorry, I was wondering when one of you would finally do something. I was surprised to see how close you two had gotten when you showed up yesterday. But I guess it wasn't that surprising considering how close you guys got so quickly."

Moana's last comment caught her off guard as she looked at her in confusion. "We weren't that close when we parted ways."

She shook her hair, amused by how oblivious the goddess could be. "You wanted to kill him when you met, and by the end you said you were going to travel with him. It wasn't that long." She paused as they caught back up to where Maui was as he prepped the boat. "Forget about it. Just take care, alright. And let me know what I can help with."

Lahela smiled before she pulled Moana in for a hug. "Of course. Can't save the world without my favorite human. You need to stay safe as well. Let us know if anything happens."

As the girls parted ways, Moana said her own goodbye to Maui before Maui and Lahela settled into their typical spots on the boat.

Lahela watched as they put distance between them and the island, thinking about her last conversation with Moana. Every so often, her eyes drifted to Maui, something that didn't go unnoticed by the demigod.

Maui raised an eyebrow as he stood up to sit by her side. "Need something, Lahela?"

She shook her head, smiling as his arm brushed against hers. "Not really, just thinking about what's happened."

"Thinking about yesterday, or thinking about this morning?"

Lahela bit her lip before looking over at him. "A bit of both." She shifted then, turning where she sat so she was looking directly at him. She took a shallow breath as her heartbeat picked up. "I never did thank you for talking sense into me this morning, or finding me yesterday. If you hadn't found me… Thank you." She swiftly pushed herself up enough to wrap her arms around his neck, holding him tightly for a moment.

Maui chuckled as he returned the gesture, content to hold her for a moment. "Like I'd leave you even if I could."

She pulled away slightly then, smiling at him. "True, guess you're just too attached to me. Guess you're lucky I am too." Lahela pulled him towards her then in a kiss.

"Do that too often and I can't guarantee we'll stay on course."

"What, am I distracting the great Maui?" she teased before kissing him again. The course could wait. Not like they couldn't adjust that as needed.

She reluctantly pulled away after a moment, trying to keep the silly grin off her face as she looked out at the ocean. A second later she felt Maui slide his hand down her arm before he let his hand rest on her knee and she couldn't help but close her eyes, enjoying the moment. Aside from the few hugs with either Maui or Moana and a few touches, the last several centuries had been spent in mostly solitude. It was even longer for Maui. Perhaps he was just as content sitting there in that moment as her, enjoying this new side of their relationship, whatever it may be. It couldn't last forever, but it could last for a bit.

Lahela wouldn't let it pass so she enjoyed what time they had and leaned against him, more relaxed than ever as he wrapped his arm around her. And that's how they stayed until the sun finally started dropping lower in the sky, a sure sign that it was time to seriously think about what they needed to be doing.

Maui was the first to break the silence, apparently thinking similarly to Lahela. Their time for relaxing was over. "We need to start focusing," he said quietly, not pulling himself away from her. "We need to find out all we can about Nakoa and Keaka."

"I know… I think we need more help. Nakoa is one of the oldest gods around. Who knows if anyone else is helping them."

"Guess we better find some more people to help," Maui said as if it were nothing.

Lahela couldn't help but stare at him. "Cause everyone is going to be lining up to go to war against War. Who is actually going to help us?"

"Relax, we'll figure it out. And if not, we can do it on our own. A little planning and it'll be fine. We took on Te Ka and we're still alive."

She sighed as she thought about the fact that they hadn't actually defeated Te Ka. They were just lucky as far as she considered all of that. Of course Maui thought they could take him on though. "Sounds to me like you want to fight him," she grumbled under her breath, though she knew he'd end up hearing her.

"I don't want to fight _him_ , but I'm Maui. I can handle a little more action."

"Of course." Lahela shook her head and looked away, considering their options. "I doubt my mother can be of much help on this, but my father is another matter." She was reluctant to go with the plan, especially if she brought Maui along. There was no telling if he would even help.

"And that would be… Wait, Hoku married Pika, right? Pika, the God of Earthquakes is your father?" Maui asked in disbelief. He suddenly felt like he knew nothing about her. She claimed to be a minor, yet her parents were pretty powerful. She could have easily made a name for herself yet she didn't. Lahela would always confuse him.

Lahela just nodded.

"So that's where we're going?" Maui asked.

"I guess so…"

It was unclear why she seemed reluctant to visit her father, but she had suggested it so it had to be worth it. Maui would just have to wait for it all to make sense.

* * *

 _Let me know what you though! More stuff to come. I'll try to get it out soon, though I have to work around my actual work. I'm trying to get as much done as possible this week while I actually have a break so we'll see where we end up! Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _I expect that my updates will start slowing down again from now on. Once the weekend hits, I'll be back to class and homework. My goal this week is at least two more chapters though. Crossing my fingers. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter 8  
**

Lahela stood at the end of the boat, constantly moving her hands as she held them in front of her. She knew they were close to where they needed to be. She could see the land mass ahead of them, though it wasn't much to look at. Nothing but rocks could be seen from the distance, though she expected a few remnants of the life that used to live on it. The island itself was simply an entrance though. Aupuni o Akua

"We really gotta go to Aupuni o Akua?" Maui asked as beside her, looking at the approaching island.

"We don't have to, but what else can we do?" Lahela asked solemnly. "No one is going to help us on this. I don't even know if he will."

Maui shrugged, unconcerned. "It'll be fine. If he helps, he helps, if not, we'll figure it out."

"He knew Nakoa fairly well from what I've heard," she admitted. "I know they don't interact anymore, but he'll know more than anyone else. At least, more than anyone else that might help. Nakoa used to have the loyalty of many gods and goddesses. I don't know how much any of that still stands."

"Alright, then let's go see him." His words were eager, ready to move on despite her hesitation.

Lahela took a breath and nodded, watching as they finally reached the island. Maui walked ahead of her slightly as they moved over the rocky edge they had ended up near. "Maui," she said suddenly drawing his attention. "I think you should stay here."

He turned around suddenly and narrowed his eyes as he watched her, thinking over the reasoning she might give. "And why is that?"

"My father is not open-minded." She struggled to find words that wouldn't automatically upset Maui, though it would happen whether it was now or later. "He might help me, but he might not help you."

Everything fell into place then as Maui understood why she had been acting so strange since she brought him up. "No demigods in the realm of gods, huh?"

Lahela quickly shook her head and stepped towards him so she was merely inches away. "No, you know that's not the case anyway. If you weren't allowed in, you wouldn't get in. You know that. But my father has always… Well, he looks down on most."

Maui crossed his arms as he looked further into the island, quiet for a moment. Then he termed back, smirking with a determined look in his eyes. "Guess he'll have to figure out why my name is so well know."

"Don't you dare start something!" Lahela exclaimed, warning him as she poked his chest.

It merely made him smirk wider. "Can't promise that, sweetheart. Whatever happens, happens."

Lahela huffed, though she couldn't stop blushing lightly at the name and tried not to smile. She merely ignored it, and his grin, and turned around with a stomp. "Fine, I was just trying to warn you. If it goes poorly, it's on you!" She walked the rest of the way across the rocks until they started to form an incline, and a steep one at that. "Up we go," she mumbled before started to walk up the mountain.

Though there was no clear trail, Lahela and Maui easily made their way uphill over the rocks. "I hope you know what you're doing. If you decide to do something stupid, he's not going to help." Lahela brought up as she climbed over fallen trees that were long dead.

"Stop worrying over it," Maui said, rolling his eyes at her as he followed her steps. "I doubt it'll be as much of a problem as you're making it out to be."

Lahela wasn't convinced but kept her thoughts to herself, continuing their climb in silence instead. An easy pace slowly shifted into a bit more work as the incline became more severe. Steps gradually shifted from walking to climbing. Then, they were finally at the top.

There wasn't much to look at at the summit, but then again, there was still more to go, just nothing that was visible without the right words. Lahela stepped forward and began the ritual to open the pathway to Aupuni o Akoa. With each word, less and less was visible. Before they knew it, the pair stood amidst a sea of clouds that blocked out the rest of the world humans resided in.

"Let's go," Lahela said as she rested her hand on Maui's arm for a moment before stepping forward. The second she lowered her hand to her side though, Maui clasped his hand around hers settling in step beside her, hand in hand. Lahela couldn't help but think that it shouldn't have felt so comfortable and natural as she gently squeezed his hand in return and walked through the clouds.

Within a few steps, a whole other world materialized before their eyes as the clouds thinned, showing yet another mountain, this time overflowing with life. Lahela knew where she was going and didn't hesitate as she moved through the area, pulling Maui along with her.

As the scenery slowly shifted from lush grass and trees into more barren lands, Lahela knew she was close. Rocks from the mountain had slid down, creating a pile at the bottom while the pathway they had followed was left much smoother. There, sitting amongst the rocks was a tall man, red eyes that matched his hair as it sat pulled back at the base of his neck. There was no warm welcoming however. Simply a steady gaze as he watched his daughter and a demigod step past the last patches of grass nearby.

"Hello, father," Lahela said cordially as she dropped Maui's hand.

"Lahela." He said shortly, a calculating look in his eyes. "It is not often that you come to the realm of Gods, particularly with another in hand."

The goddess couldn't help but flinch at his words. She would have preferred a better start.

"Pika!" Maui swept in, stepping up as if the atmosphere was anything but tense. "It's an honor to meet you. I'm Maui, you might have heard of me." He suddenly placed his arm around Lahela's shoulders and pulled her towards him, grinning as he did. "Your daughter here though you might be able to help us with something."

Lahela looked at him wide-eyed. "Maui!" she hissed, just loud enough for him to here. "Stop it."

"Did she?" Pika drawled out as he eyed his daughter before he turned to stare at Maui. "Why would I help a demigod with something? And one who thinks so highly of himself. Surely with the gifts you have been granted, you are more than capable of doing what is necessary."

Maui nodded, not letting his mood drop despite the tone being directed at him.

"Father, we just need information." Lahela had a bad feeling about the two of them together and wanted to be gone quickly. "Nakoa is up to something. He is working with Keaka, trying to destroy villages. Just the other day, they attacked me. We – I – was hoping you could help. I don't know much about him."

Silence rang through the area as Pika did not move, simply letting her words sit.

"Humans die. That is why Gods exist. They are kept in check because we strike fear into them. Leave Nakoa be."

"You don't care that he attacked Lahela?" Maui suddenly yelled, stepping in front of her to confront him, having had enough of his words. "She's your daughter! They could have killed her! And you want to just let me be?" His fists clenched as he stared down the god.

Pika rose from his seat and strode across the area, stopping feet in front of them. "I help those worth helping." He gave Lahela a hard look then. "Perhaps if you hadn't turned weak. You are a destructive force. You should not be saving humans."

Maui stepped forward, ready to strike when Lahela grabbed his arm, tighter than needed as she tried to restrain her own emotions. "You're wrong." Her words were quiet, directed at the ground before she looked up. "I'm not just destruction. That's all I thought I could do because I didn't realize I could actually help with anything. I was weak because I didn't try to be anything else."

"And now you want to be known for something good," her father concluded. "Delusions. You got a taste for praise, not just humans praying for mercy. That will not last."

Lahela took a deep breath and closed her eyes before she stepped back, pushing her emotions aside. "I didn't come for a lecture. I'm well aware of your opinions on these matters. Will you help or not?"

"Just know you are making a mistake. I don't know what you think you are doing with a demigod but you are better than that. Going after Nakoa is going to start a war and it will be on your head."

"We'll happily take the blame." Maui placed a hand on Lahela's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "We're at least doing the right thing."

When he got no reply from Lahela, just Maui, Pika finally spoke again. "Nakoa's sister has little interaction with him now. They had a falling out some time ago. Tatuuina may be willing to help you. Otherwise, speak with my brother. He shares in your foolish views. I hope you come out of this alive, Lahela." He nodded at her and walked off, leaving those as his parting words.

Lahela couldn't help but bristle at his departure. She couldn't believe he thought so little of all this! She knew he wouldn't take too well to having Maui around, but to talk to her like that as well? She couldn't believe it!

The sudden crack of lightning striking a tree just beyond where they had originally come made her jump as she snapped in that direction. That's when she spotted Maui, eyes glued in the direction her father had walked away. "Let's go," she muttered as she pulled his arm, stumbling a bit as the wind made it difficult to keep her balance.

Despite her present tempter, clear through the sudden weather change, Maui said nothing. Rather than the calming presence he normally acted as for her, he fed off her own feelings, fueling his anger as well.

The brewing emotions overflowed when they finally returned to the human realm and Maui turned on her suddenly, looking as if he were ready to scream at her. Instead, he took a breath and spun back around. "Your father is a piece of work," he spat in annoyance. "What was that back there? You honestly thought he would help?"

"Maui!" She snapped, getting his attention. "He did help. Tatuuina. We can go talk to her. And Kalama. I honestly forgot about him because my father never speaks about his brother."

"Help?! That's not helping, Lahela! He didn't care at all about the fact that you were attacked!" Maui wasn't about to let her defend what just happened. "Not to mention how he talked to you. I was expected to hear that about me, not about you."

Lahela shook her head and stepped towards him. "It doesn't matter what he said! You know why?" She paused, calming down with each word that followed. "Cause what I said was true. I know I'm not that bad. And as annoying as it is, I probably have you to thank for that." She placed her hands on both of his arms as she looked up at him. "Just let it go, okay? I've heard stuff like that tons of times in some form. As much as it bothers me, I can ignore. So I need you to as well."

Maui closed his eyes and rested his forehead against hers. "You're lucky, you know that?"

Lahela smiled as she bit her lip teasingly, looking up at him. "Lucky, how?"

"Lucky I'll listen," he said sarcastically, though he could think of other reasons he could say. He kissed her then, simply to show how much he believed in her, how much higher he thought of her than her father.

She reluctantly pulled away, taking one last quick kiss. "Thanks by the way, for sticking up for me. Don't forget I can handle my own battles. Especially the verbal ones."

"Oh, so I shouldn't save you?" Maui nodded as he started walking back down the mountain. "I do recall seeing a few fumbling steps today. Don't fall down the mountain now. You're on your own if you decide to be clumsy."

"I'm not clumsy!" Lahela yelled as she stopped like a child. "Don't start bringing that up again!" She ran after him then, pushing him as she rammed into his back. She miscalculated though, as it did little to him and mostly made her fall into him.

"Yeah, not clumsy," Maui agreed with a laugh at her expense.

Lahela growled as she righted herself and shoved her way around him, walking in front instead so she didn't have to see him and he couldn't see her frustration, no doubt visible in a blushing shade. "You're impossible."

* * *

 _Working on this chapter made me really wish I knew more about mythology right now. Anyway, Aupuni o Akua, aka "realm of gods," was inspired by the idea of Wao Lani that I found online, which I could find very little on. I also really enjoyed working on the end of this chapter. I realized I had slipped on including one little trait of Lahela's. As far as her dad goes, I don't know what happened. He wasn't an SOB when I started working on this story. Glad you made it through though! Make my day and let me know what you think with a review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _So many new followers and favorites recently! I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that's been following along and found this worth reading. Thank you to those who are reviewing as well.  
_

 _Enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter 9  
**

Several days had passed since Lahela and Maui left Aupuni o Akua. Within that time, it seemed that Keaka started acting again, more villages falling to her influence. Despite that, there was no sign of where Keaka or Nakoa may have been. They supposed it simply gave them more time to prepare. They needed to move quickly, but until they knew how to approach the god of war and peace, all they could do was continue looking for information.

Tatuuina was the next part of their plan. Thankfully she was fairly easy to locate. As the Goddess of Volcanoes, Lahela and Maui simply moved towards where they knew the most active volcano was.

"I don't suppose you've ever met Tatuuina," Lahela commented as she stood on the beach, staring up at the smoking volcano in the distance.

"Nope," Maui as he sat down in the sand. "You sure your dad was right about her? We're not walking into a trap or something just to spite us?"

Lahela shook her head. "No, he wouldn't bother with something like that."

"Ah, but he'd be fine with the idea. Good to know."

"You know what I meant," Lahela said, rolling her eyes.

"Fine, fine. Then let's get going." Maui stood up and slapped her on the back, pushing her as he took a step. "We got a goddess to go meet."

Lahela watched him for a moment, eyes narrowed. "When we get to her, can you just… Be a bit more subtle? We don't know how much she'll be willing to tell us. And… we really don't need you making her mad."

Maui looked at her as though insulted, speaking dramatically. "What, you don't trust me?"

"For being tactful? No."

Maui rolled his eyes before starting on their path towards the volcano, leading Lahela with a hand on her back, pushing her playfully as they went.

* * *

All Lahela knew was that she felt like she was melting. It was a rare moment. With the typical heat from the area, sun often shining down, being warm was a typically normal circumstance. This heat was not. Being so close to a volcano wasn't particularly comfortable to her. Maui on the other hand looked like he barely noticed the heat, though she assumed that wasn't actually the case.

Lahela mentally cursed herself for agreeing to such an idea. She groaned as she paused, leaning her back against the rocks of the volcano. "Why are we doing this?" she whined as she looked at Maui who laughed as he walked by her.

"Cause it was your idea. Suck it up, buttercup. The fast we get to her, the faster we're done."

She grumbled to herself before she followed Maui's example, trudging along behind him. Finally after what felt like an eternity, they spotted another person who seemed to be making their way down the very path they had been walking up.

The brunette paused her steps as she looked at the two figures who stood before her. "Well, this is a surprise." She placed her hands on her hips. "I assume you're looking for me, otherwise you're out of your mind for taking a walk up an active volcano."

"If you're Tatuuina, then yeah," Maui confirmed, stopping when Tatuuina paused her steps as well, just a few feet between the group.

She nodded. "That I am, now who are you?" she gestured between the two of them, seemingly impatient.

"I'm Lahela," she said as she stepped forward. "This is Maui. We were hoping that you would be able to help us with something, just some information really."

Tatuuina started walking again and pushed through Lahela and Maui, uninterested. "I have better things to do. Go find someone else to bother."

"We just wanted to ask you about Nakoa." Maui quickly grabbed Tatuuina's arm, stopping her as she turned to glare at the demigod.

"You got some nerve there, Maui." She yanked her arm away from him as the smoke started to rise from the volcano, a low rumbling noise picking up. "So here's how this will work. You can do that again and get buried in lava, or you can let me go on my way. Whatever thing you got going on with my brother, I want no part in it."

Lahela stepped in front of Maui, hoping to take off some of the edge away if she could get the other goddess to focus on her rather than Maui. "Look, we just need to find him. We're not trying to bring you into it."

Tatuuina stared at them before she turned around and began a brisk walk down. "Talk and walk. I'm not saying that I'll tell you anything though."

With the goddess of volcanoes walking ahead of them, Lahela glanced at Maui, quietly telling him to let her handle it. She had no intention of being stuck on an erupting volcano.

"Alright," Lahela started, trying to figure out the best approach, though she didn't think there was one. "If you don't want involved, wouldn't it be better to just help us without explanation? If you know where we might be able to find him, we'd love it if you let us know, then we could be on our way."

Tatuuina looked over her shoulder as Lahela walked just behind her, Maui in step with her. "No. I think I'd rather know what foolish thing he's done now. I'll be the judge of whether or not you deserve to know."

"I – Well, I mean, it's… complicated. We're just trying to fix some things going on with the human villages."

"Uh-uh," she said dismissively. "Nakoa is the God of War and Peace. If he caused a problem, he'll fix it eventually. That's just what he does."

"It's not just Nakoa. He's working with the Goddess of Darkness." Lahela continued.

"Really, it's more her that we're looking for," Maui added as an afterthought, as if it made much of a difference.

The pair saw Tatuuina shake her head as she continued watching the trail in front of her, not concerned if they actually were following her. "That's all fine and all, but I don't care. But whatever. You're just wasting your time. Do what you want. Nakoa has an island about three days southwest of here. He doesn't take kindly to visitors so I wouldn't stop by unannounced."

"What do you mean?" Lahela asked.

"I mean he doesn't let anyone come on that island. It's his. He's going to keep it that way. No humans, gods, demigods, monsters. Whatever. Nothing is allowed on that island but him. He'll sooner kill you than let you near it."

Maui looked up at her like she was crazy. "Been there, done that. An island to yourself ain't all that great."

"He's not exactly trapped though," Lahela mentioned offhandedly.

Tatuuina turned around suddenly and crossed her arms, glaring at them. "Do what you want. There's your warning. Anything else I can do for you otherwise leave me alone. I'd prefer to wrap this island up and head back."

"Nope," Maui said quickly, ignoring the look Lahela gave him at his quick dismissal. "Thanks for the help."

"Good." Tatuuina turned around then and walked off, ending the conversation for good as she picked up her pace, leaving them behind.

Lahela turned seething at Maui, wide eyed as she raised her arms, thinking about ringing his neck. "Why did you do that?" she yelled. "We could have tried to get more information! You didn't even give me a chance to think."

"Like she was going to help anymore." Maui shook his head before grabbing her shoulders and turning her to the side, directing her towards the volcano. "By all means, stick around and chat but I'm out."

Lahela didn't say anything as she stared at the dark smoke rising from the volcano, sparks of red appearing over the top. She wasn't sure how she had missed all the signs. A volcano about to erupt was certainly hard to ignore when the sound of it tended to drown out everything else.

Maui simply grabbed her hand, pulling her along that last bit of their walk before they reached the boat. In no time at all, Maui had them out over the ocean, moving safely away from the island.

"You never cease to amaze me," the demigod said with a laugh, drawing Lahela's attention as she stared at him in confusion. "You always get so wrapped up that you seem to miss what's around you."

Lahela turned around again and crossed her arms, not finding his comment amusing and simply wanting to give him a hard time. "So sorry for being invested in this," she muttered.

Maui moved to sit beside her, rolling his eyes at her sudden attitude towards him. "I didn't say it was a bad thing, though I'd prefer if you weren't taken out by a volcano over it."

She scoffed at the comment as she tried to keep herself from laughing, quickly turning her back to him instead.

"So moody." Maui turned around then as well so he faced her back, sitting merely inches away from her. "You're not gonna sink the boat now by giving me the silent treatment, are you?" he teased as he spoke into her ear, catching the smile she tried to hide from her face.

"No, but that doesn't mean you're not gonna get struck," she threatened.

A second went by. "I don't think so."

Suddenly, Lahela was in the ocean, curtesy of Maui as he laughed from the boat.

"What was that for!" she yelled as she wiped the water from her eyes, glaring up at him as she moved towards the edge of the boat.

"Cooling you down!"

Lahela growled before she splashed water at him, distracting him before she sent a strong gust of wind into the sails, successfully flipping the boat with Maui still on it. Then it was her turn to laugh as he spit out water from his mouth, glaring at her.

"Serves you right," the goddess said mockingly.

Maui easily flipped their boat back over and climbed on board, staring at Lahela as she remained in the ocean. "You getting back on?" His look was almost daring her to do so though his hand was stretched out to help her up.

Lahela narrowed her eyes before reluctantly grabbing his hand. And when he grinned at her, she knew exactly what he was planning. As Maui pulled her up, intending on simply tossing her over the other side of the boat, Lahela latched onto his arm with her free hand, making it impossible for him to toss her. The sudden shift in weight left them both toppling onto the deck of the boat.

Lahela groaned as she rolled over, having landed on her arms when she tried to catch herself before rolling over laughing.

Maui sat up as he pushed his hair out of his face. He looked at Lahela, annoyed by the change in his plan. His mood lightened though when he looked at her, sprawled out on the boat, laughing as she tried to breath. She opened her eyes then as she smiled at him, making her flushed cheeks stand out.

As she finally steadied her breathing enough to speak, she remained in her spot as she spoke quietly, a light laugh still in her voice. "Think we wasted enough time now?"

Maui shook his head as he leaned over her. "Absolutely not." He leaned down then and kissed her, happy to waste a few more minutes.

"Guess the world can wait," Lahela agreed as he pulled away. "I blame you if the world ends though." She grinned before she pulled him back down, kissing him deeply. At least she knew the wind would keep them moving forward without their help.

* * *

 _I needed more fluff in my life. I figured you lovely readers wouldn't be opposed to it either. I'm upset I couldn't get those two together sooner cause I can't get enough of writing them together. And it's sad cause I'm starting to see the end of the story coming. I can't stop._

 _This could have been longer but when I started the next bit it seemed to call for a new chapter. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. Leave a review, let me know if you want some more Maui/Lahela moments._


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Moana. All belong to Disney and the story's creators. I only own Lahela and the plot created for this story._

 _Well... Obviously, I'm alive since I'm posting. I feel like I should give a huge, sincere apology to all of my followers for disappearing for so long. Life swooped in a lot faster than I expected after my spring break as over at school. I am so sorry it's been months since I've updated. Jumping back into this story took some time as well since I could hardly remember what was happening. It's even worse when I realized how close we were getting to the end.  
_

 _Anyway, here's a very brief recap for those that are probably as lost as I was when I opened this story back up._

 _Maui and Lahela - the goddess of storms - have been traveling, trying to figure out why all the people on the islands have been fighting/arguing. After discovering that Nakoa - the god of war and peace- and Keaka - the goddess of darkness - were behind it, they started trying to find others that would be willing to help them._

 _Enjoy the new chapter!_

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

Maui sat in the middle of the boat later on in the day, a steady course set, as Lahela laid there with her head on his lap. His fingers moved through her red hair as both of their eyes kept watch on the ocean in front of them. "Maui, I think we need to visit my uncle. He might know how to actually deal with Nakoa. Maybe even help." She sat up, disturbing the peaceful feeling that had settled over them. "We know where we can find him, but…"

"I know," Maui said. "No running in blind with you. I can't just hit him with my hook."

Lahela shook her head as he grinned at her. "No, that probably wouldn't work out that well. I don't know what his powers are so unless you learned something while I wasn't looking, we're still at a disadvantage. I mean, what does he actually do to start wars and such? Is he actually just physically fighting? He has some sort of power, but I don't know what. I've honestly never heard too many things about his actual work."

"Alright, then let's go see Kalama. Where are we off to?"

A pause filled the air as Lahela took a moment to look around.

"Well?" Maui asked impatiently.

It was then she turned around sheepishly. "Well… I don't… really know… where he is." Though she dragged out her first sentence, she quickly moved on in her own defense. "But I have an idea. I was right about Tatuuina's location. If we think of it in a similar way, then he'll be in the largest forest. Or the most rapidly growing one at least. I do know that he likes to use his powers and being around his element so there's no way he'd be in the realm of gods or something."

Maui nodded slowly as he stared her down. "You don't have a clue."

"I do have a clue."

"You don't," Maui said as he walked towards the ropes, "otherwise you'd have given me a location." He pulled the ropes then, shifting the sails suddenly, jerking the boat as Lahela stumbled into the mast.

"I do have a clue!" Lahela said as she stomped her food, pushing away from the beam of wood. "Just not an exact location. And where are you even taking us?"

"Kahurangi."

Lahela paused, waiting for the name to click. It seemed Maui was waiting as well.

Maui sighed as he tied the rope back down, setting their course again. "It's a large forest some ways north of here. It was already pretty large last I saw it before getting stuck on that island. I flew by it earlier before you joined back up with me. It's huge. Should be the place."

* * *

A sea of green stood before her as Lahela walked underneath the tall palm trees that towered above her, blocking out much of the sun. Aside from the dried up plants that lined the ground, there was very little that could be seen between the ferns that stood nearly at tall as the goddess and the lower hanging branches of palm trees. Without a doubt, Lahela understood why Maui believed this to be the right spot. It was thriving and she doubted humans would ever attempt to build a home amongst so much wildlife.

Before they had even reached land, they had agreed on Maui flying out over it. He would have a better chance of spotting Kalama if he made use of his shapeshifting. Otherwise, they could be walking for days around the area.

As a screech filled the air above her, Lahela looked up just in time to see Maui darting down towards her, pushing gust of wind her way before he shifted back into his human form.

"Found him."

Lahela looked at him surprised. He had been much quicker than she expected. "Really?"

"Yep, or I should say they spotted me before I stopped them?" Maui smirked as she simply became more confused.

"They? Who's he with?" She shook her head, realizing he probably wouldn't tell her since he looked intent on withholding such information. "Whatever. Let's just go. Where did you spot him?"

Maui didn't reply. Didn't even move, just continued smirking.

"What is your problem? Can we move?" Lahela huffed in annoyance, crossing her arms as she looked at him.

"My, that certainly isn't how I raised you to speak." A voice broke in from behind her.

Lahela spun quickly, wide-eyed in recognition of the voice. Despite knowing who it was, she was still shocked as she looked at her mother standing behind her, a man beside her who looked quite similar to her father, just with a much darker shade of red hair. "W-what… why… Hold on," she whipped back around to glare at Maui only have him break down laughing at her look. "Really!" she snapped before breathing out.

Her mother's soft laughter caused her to turn back around, facing the older goddess and god beside her.

"Honestly, you could be nicer, Lahela." Hoku said with a smile as she pulled Lahela closer to her. "I'm glad you came when you did though. Much has happened."

"That's an understatement, Hoku." The god beside her spoke before he looked closely at Lahela. "Goodness, I haven't seen you since you were small."

Lahela shifted uncomfortably as he studied her. She honestly didn't even remember meeting him in her life. She could only imagine how long it had been if what he said was true. It was certainly over a millennium, probably two. "Good to see you again, Kalama."

"You don't remember me at all, do you?" Kalama shook his head lightly, laughing. "No worries. It's been a long time." His eyes shifted towards Maui then who had settled down as he listened in. "So, you're Maui."

"The one and only."

Kalama nodded before he shifted his eyes between everyone in the group. "I can take a guess why you're here. Hoku told me a bit about what has been happening. Villages going crazy. All that stuff."

Hoku eased in when he finished speaking. "Have you learned anything else since we last met?"

Lahela glanced at Maui, frowning as she considered what had happened since then. "Quite a bit, actually."

"We know for sure that Keaka and Nakoa are behind it." Maui explained.

"We're pretty sure we know where to find them as well." Lahela added. "We just need a plan."

Maui stepped forward as he placed a hand on her shoulder, though kept his eyes on Hoku and Kalama. "Yeah, we're guessing running in swinging isn't the best plan."

"No, it certainly wouldn't be," Hoku agreed quietly before she looked away in thought.

Kalama crossed his arms as he studied the two, going over what he knew. "Honestly, you're going to get yourselves killed. Bringing a fight to Nakoa is a bad idea. He's an exceptional fighter." He looked at Maui, straight faced. "I don't care what the stories have said about you. You go up against him and you'll be done."

Hoku looked at her daughter and Maui, frowning as she contemplated what to tell them. She seemed reluctant to speak.

Lahela quickly caught on to the look her mother had. "There's something else. What is it?"

All eyes turned to her suddenly and she sighed as she pushed back her blonde hair, seeming out of character compared to what had been expected of the moon goddess. "I will aide you in whatever way possible when you so choose to deal with this. Kalama will as well." She glanced at him to see a nod of agreement. "There is something else though. I noticed something strange recently. I recommend you visit that human friend of yours soon."

A feeling of dread suddenly overtook Lahela as she looked up at Maui. She could only guess what had caught her mother's attention. She clearly didn't have details otherwise they would have already been shared.

"Thank you! I'm sorry to run," Lahela bowed her head quickly as the group said a quick farewell, realizing the pair would be running off any second. And just as expected, Lahela grabbed Maui's hand as she turned them around and sprinted towards the edge of the island, missing as both the other god and goddess vanished in their own unique way, going back to where they were needed.

Lahela had barely reached the boat before she conjured up a strong breeze so they could get moving. Rather than letting Maui take his normal spot, she jumped in to take control and directed the boat. Maui kept an eye in front of them, watching their course out of habit even though he knew she was completely capable of getting them anywhere.

Ten minutes passed as Lahela gripped the rope tight, tense and focused on her thoughts. She suddenly felt hands over her own, causing her to jump slightly as she realized Maui was beside her. She had been so focused in that state that she missed Maui walk over to her.

Once he tied the rope down, he looked at Lahela, quiet as he looked at her, waiting for an explanation for the behavior.

Lahela took a breath as she clenched and unclenched her hands, slightly tender from gripping the rope so carelessly as she had been. "Guess that's why I let you steer."

Maui raised in eyebrow, knowing that wasn't true. "No, you do that cause you'd rather relax and enjoy the ride. So what has you all tense? You're not absentminded, even if you're worried."

"I know. I was caught up on thinking about what happened before."

"What, you worried about Keaka doing something to her village?"

Lahela fidgeted as she looked at him. "Not really. We can deal with Keaka. I'm sure of it. I may not be a fighter, but she isn't either."

If that wasn't what she was worried about, then he could take a guess at what it was. "Then it's Nakoa. Sounds like we just need to get them apart then," he said simply. "Deal with Keaka and get her out of the way. Easy. Like you said, we can deal with her."

Lahela smiled slightly but it quickly fell. "And then we have to deal with Nakoa." She was trying not to worry about it or get worked up over it but it was futile. She just thought back to when he had trapped her in the cave. True that he had snuck up on her, but she had been useless against him. She didn't want to feel that helpless and desperate again.

"Lahela, relax," Maui said, a bit more sharply than needed but it caught her attention. She looked back at him only to have to push her hair out of her face. She looked up to notice the gray clouds filling the sky. It was exactly what she didn't want to do.

"Would you mind not sinking the boat?" Maui asked.

"Yeah," said embarrassedly, biting her lip as she took a breath to calm down, closing her eyes. At least it wasn't too bad.

Maui sighed, more to himself before he slid forward before he placed a soft kiss on her forehead, startling her.

Lahela blushed at the sudden action, still not used to it as she looked up at him. "What was that for?"

He shrugged. "Helping. Now would you mind sharing what has you so worked up about this rather than bottling it up until we have a hurricane?"

"I don't want to feel helpless again," she confessed. "When we face Nakoa, I don't want to be useless. I couldn't do anything when he showed up."

Maui slowly nodded at her words. "You thought you'd be useless against Te Ka as well," he pointed out. "So what else is bothering you? Stop skirting around the issue. I can't help if you don't tell me."

Lahela clenched her fists and took in a breath of annoyance. "I didn't ask for help. That's not what this is about."

"It's bothering you, you need help, so that is what it's about. Just tell me what it is already so I can help you already." Maui was beyond exasperated. It was a miracle he hadn't simply thrown her off the boat in annoyance. What was so hard about accepting help when she didn't even have to ask for it?

"It doesn't matter. Forget it," Lahela suddenly dismissed it and turned away from him, hoping he would do the same. She had no desire to point out where her thoughts had been lingering.

Maui grabbed her suddenly, lifting her up before he moved her so she was sat on the ground, looking back at him yet again. "Lahela, enough. What is so hard about telling me?"

She didn't waste a second before she stood back up, suddenly in his space. "Because it shouldn't be bothering me! I don't want it to be bothering me!"

"What is?!" Throttling her was starting to sound like a good idea to Maui.

"Nakoa! He trapped me like I was nothing! I could barely think straight when it happened. I can't stand thinking about facing him again because all I remember is him pinning me down and the panic that I felt! Forget being useless, what if I just cause more problems while fighting him? Like you said, don't really need a hurricane. That's my specialty though. Leave it to Lahela to cause destruction. You can't tell me that's not a possibility because it is," Lahela snapped before turning away from Maui, catching her breath from her rant before she continued, not looking to see if Maui would even attempt to say anything. "If I panic when we face him, I could jeopardize everything."

Silence greeted her when she was done, which made her nervous, but she didn't dare turn to look at the demi-god. She closed her eyes, fists clenched, listening as the sounds of the ocean filled her ears.

It wasn't until she felt the boat shift, indicating that Maui moved, that she finally glanced back. A look of puzzlement crossed her face as she opened her mouth to question him. She had to admit, the look on his face was troubling. She never had a chance to say anything though as he lunged at her, pushing her straight into the ocean, replacing her previous words with a screech.

"What the hell was that for?" she yelled as she broke the surface, glaring at him. "Stop pushing me into the ocean!"

Maui raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Thought you needed to cool down. Get a new perspective cause clearly you're not thinking like the Lahela I would expect. Pretty sure you tried to punch me when we met, not whine at me until I die. This," he was with a gesture to the wet goddess, "is not the attitude that caught me attention."

Lahela blushed as she listened to his words and chose to focus on swimming back to the boat before she said anything. "Yeah, well… I _was_ quite angry with you back then," she said with a huff as she pulled herself up. "Different circumstances, different attitude."

"Well, guess what," Maui said as he leaned closer, forcing her to look at him. "It's time for an attitude change cause I work a lot better with you when you're feisty." Despite how simple the words could be taken, the smirk on his face was enough to spark warmth in Lahela's face.

"Tough luck," she snapped as she pushed him with her shoulder. "You have to deal with whatever attitude I decide to give you, good or bad." She dropped herself down onto the boat then, close to the edge and ignored Maui as she could almost feel the smug attitude from him. He got exactly the reaction he wanted, but she had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of that.

It took only a moment before Maui burst out laughing, amused by Lahela, before he walked back over to the ropes, adjusting the sails. The laughter would have to be short-lived. There were more important things to focus on. They had to check on Moana and then it was time to face Nakoa.

* * *

 _Author's Note: After working on this again, I had honestly considered halting where I was on this story and starting over with rewriting it. The direction I've taken with the last bit of this story isn't impressing me, but I figured it would be cruel of me to just stop this close to the end. So the plan is to push through and wrap this up before I go back in time. Of course, I still have plans to rewrite Raging Storm as well. Hopefully inspiration strikes while I'm on vacation so I can treat you wonderful readers with quicker updates. Again, I am so sorry I disappeared for so long and let me know what you think. Not sure how well this chapter actually flows since most of it was written up months ago. Thank you!_


	11. Update

Oct. 16 - Author's Update

So I have been sitting on this story for months now, waiting for inspiration to hit in order to work on it. I have finally accepted that is not the case. I'm just not into where the story seemed to be going. In other words, this is me officially putting _Eye of the Storm_ on hold. I'm not sure how many people would actually be paying attention to this story by this point in time anyway.

However, this means my next focus will be on rewriting and editing _Raging Storm_ ; something I've wanted to do since I wrote it considering that it was written prior to me owning it. Once that is done, I can try working on this again and figuring out what I need to change. There's just been so much time between updates that it feels like Lahela isn't being written as the fabulous character I believe her to be.

Rather than reposting chapters I will probably just start up a new story post as the rewrite. There will be another update posted here for anyone interested in reading it.

Thank you so much to everyone that was following this story and waiting on updates. I will try my best to get moving on this again.

Oct. 17 - Update #2

I am happy to say that I have, in fact, began working on my revisions. Hopefully this drive continues. Hearing from you readers certainly helped push me a little more in getting this going. I really do want to finish this story and the only way to do that is by going back to the beginning. In the mean time, the first part of Raging Storms - Revision is up and ready for those who might like to reread the story and see what changes are made. I don't expect any drastic changes for the first story. Major changes will happen once I work on this one.

You can find the story here: s/12692200/1/Raging-Storm-Revision

Thank you all so much for sticking with this. It means the world to me.

\- ShadowMoon2430


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